“This is not a reason for a quick reaction, but for a well-thought-out action in response to these illegal decisions implemented by the EU. These actions will certainly be taken, but they must be well thought out, they must be fully in line with our interests,” Peskov told reporters.

Shortly before, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that the bloc will transfer the first tranche of 1.5 billion euros from the proceeds of Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine on Friday.

The EU and the Group of Seven have blocked Russian assets worth 300 billion euros since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, which Russia launched in February 2022 to stop Kiev’s shelling of civilians in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Some 200 billion euros of Russian investments are tied up in the accounts of the Belgium-based Euroclear, one of the largest clearing and settlement systems for financial securities in Europe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that his country would respond symmetrically with the seizure of Russian assets frozen by Europe.

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