Moscow reacts to Merz’s ultimatum
(MENAFN) Russia has dismissed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s call for Moscow to pay for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, suggesting that Germany itself may owe Russia a significant historical debt.
Speaking at the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Rome on Thursday, Merz claimed Russia had caused at least €500 billion ($540 billion) in damage to Ukraine and should be held financially accountable. He also argued that Russia should not be allowed access to its frozen assets in the West until it agrees to pay.
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pushed back on Friday, stating that if reparations are on the table, then it's time for Russia to tally what others owe it. She referenced the Western intervention during Russia’s civil war between 1918 and 1922, when foreign troops, including Germans, occupied parts of the country and supported anti-Bolshevik forces.
Zakharova also pointed to the enormous cost Russia incurred in liberating and rebuilding Germany and much of Europe after World War II. She noted the economic toll of the Soviet Union’s collapse, which Russia bore heavily and claimed was influenced by Western interference.
She further suggested that Germany might consider repaying Russia for acts of goodwill, such as the Soviet-led restoration of paintings in the Dresden Gallery damaged during WWII. Over 1,200 restored artworks were returned to East Germany in 1955 after being found in Nazi storage facilities in Saxony.
Since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, Western nations have frozen approximately $300 billion in Russian sovereign and central bank assets. While some Western leaders advocate seizing these funds to aid Ukraine, legal complexities have led the EU instead to allocate profits generated from the frozen assets. Russia has condemned the move as a violation of international law and warned that it could undermine global financial stability.
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