«Friends of Russia» are asking the EU to drop the idea of confiscating $200 billion worth of frozen Russian assets, Politico writes.
Representatives of China, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are privately urging the EU to continue to resist pressure from the US and UK. They fear that confiscating Russian assets will set a precedent, and they are as follows.
«I recognize that the Russians could have asked their friends to raise the ruckus,» said a senior diplomat from a non-EU country.
There are also fears that Moscow will push its allies to attack Western assets in their countries.
The assets will be discussed at a meeting of G7 finance ministers in May. Some countries and structures within the EU also oppose the confiscation.
At the same time, European officials believe that if the confiscation does take place, Russia will be able to challenge it in the courts.
