Kremlin: Sovereign Asset Confiscation Would Be "Catastrophic"

Wires reporting comments from the Kremlin on a range of issues. On this week's European Commission proposal to use profits generated by Russian sovereign assets frozen in EU capitals: "EU is wrong to say the income from them doesn't belong to anyone - it belongs to the owner... any bank's legal service understands it would have catastrophic consequences."

• On an FTreport claiming that Washington urged Kyiv to refrain from strikes on Russian oil refineries: "We'd rather they tell Ukraine to stop attacking residential targets."
• FT reported: "One person said that the White House had grown increasingly frustrated by brazen Ukrainian drone attacks that have struck oil refineries, terminals, depots and storage facilities across western Russia... Oil prices have risen about 15 per cent this year, to $85 a barrel, pushing up fuel costs just as US President Joe Biden begins his campaign for re-election."
• The Kremlin says they are "not aware of" reportsthe Houthis have provided assurances to Russia and China that their vessels would not be targeted in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in return for support at the UN.
• On the war in Ukraine: "Russia needs to 'push back the enemy' in Ukraine to protect our citizens."
• With the Russia presidential election complete, military analystsbelieve that Moscow will now have more political flexibility to undertake a large-scale mobiliation ahead of an expected major offensive this year.
• Notably, the Kremlin says: "'Special military operation' in Ukraine turned into a war after the west increased its involvement."