Tensions between Moscow and London are escalating, as former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned Russia may seize “valuables of the British Crown” in retaliation for the UK using frozen Russian assets to fund military aid to Ukraine.
Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin and now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, made the threat via his Telegram account after Britain announced a £1bn package for Kyiv on Wednesday. UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the money would come from frozen Russian funds.
In his message, Medvedev didn’t hold back, referring to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy as “the English idiot” and claiming that Moscow could respond by taking British property in Russia.
“British thieves transferred Russian money to neo-Nazis. Consequences? Britain committed an offence,” he wrote, adding that the only way for Russia to reclaim its frozen assets was “in kind”, Ukrainian land and other property located there.
The warning comes amid a long-running campaign of sanctions by the UK and its allies, aimed at punishing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last Wednesday, the UK also sanctioned 11 individuals and entities allegedly linked to Moscow’s attempts to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children.
Trump Calls on Europe to Pressure China
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump weighed in at a summit of Ukraine’s allies in Paris on Thursday. A White House official said Trump urged Europe to stop buying Russian oil, which is funding Moscow’s war effort, and also called on European leaders to pressure China over its support for Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that 26 Ukraine allies had pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” once hostilities end, aimed at ensuring long-term security. While the exact role of the US remains unclear, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Washington’s willingness to participate.
On the Battlefield
The conflict itself continues unabated. Russia claimed on Thursday to have destroyed a launch site for Ukrainian long-range drones in Chernihiv, though this hasn’t been independently verified. Ukrainian officials also reported that a Russian missile strike on a humanitarian demining mission near Chernihiv killed two people.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil refining capacity, striking facilities over the past weekend and reportedly impacting around 11% of Russia’s total refining capability so far.
