Russia Protests Japan’s Move to Fund Ukraine with Frozen Russian Assets — MFA
The Russian Foreign Ministry has lodged a strong formal protest with Japan’s ambassador to Moscow, Akira Muto, over Tokyo’s proposal to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. The protest followed a meeting between Lyudmila Vorobyova, director of the ministry’s Third Department, and the Japanese diplomat.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it firmly expressed its opposition to Japan’s plan to redirect funds from what it called “illegally frozen” Russian assets to provide loans under the Group of Seven’s financial support program for Ukraine.
The ministry further condemned Tokyo’s move, describing it as complicity in the “crimes of the Kiev regime” and warning that such actions would trigger severe retaliatory measures, including actions targeting Japan’s most sensitive interests. The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the responsibility for any further deterioration in bilateral relations would lie entirely with the Japanese government.
Previously, Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance announced that Kiev would receive around $3 billion from Tokyo under the ERA (Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration) emergency lending program, funded by income generated from frozen Russian assets.
