At the Ukrainian reconstruction conference held in Rome (Italy) on July 10, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Russia must bear responsibility for the damage caused by the conflict that Ukraine has suffered since 2022, and the compensation amount is at least 500 billion euros (equivalent to 540 billion USD). The German Chancellor stressed that Russia should not have access to any frozen assets in the West until it agrees to pay the money.
The very next day, on July 11, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova strongly responded, saying that it was time for Russia to calculate the debt. We can start with Western intervention during the 1918-1922 period, she said, referring to the fact that the British, French, American, Japanese and German armies have occupied parts of the country and supported the anti-Bolshevik forces in the civil war.
Ms. Zakharova also reiterated that the Soviet Union itself suffered heavy losses in liberating and rebuilding Germany and much of Europe after World War 2, but never demanded a return.
The Soviet Union shed blood to liberate Europe from socialism, and contributed to the restoration of the ashes in Germany. We also have the right to calculate how much Germany owes us, Zakharova said.
A specific example she gave was the restoration of works of art damaged in World War II by Soviet experts, including more than 1,200 paintings from the Dresden painting room in Germany, which was destroyed by US-UK bombs.
These works were hidden by the German army in the mine basement to avoid bombs, but were damaged by poor preservation conditions. In 1995, the Soviet Union returned all the paintings to East Germany without demanding compensation.
Ms. Zakharova also affirmed that the West cannot deny its role in dismantling the Soviet Union. When Western officials themselves acknowledge their role in this, there is no reason for us not to start calculating, Zakharova said.
The statement comes amid concerns that tensions over frozen Russian assets have not cooled down. Since 2022, about $300 billion in Russia's national reserve assets have been frozen by the West. Although many countries have called for the seizure to support Ukraine, legal experts warn that this could violate international law.
Instead, the European Union has approved a plan to use profits from frozen assets to provide aid to Kiev, including military aid. Russia called this an act of "blatant theft", violating international standards on national assets and warning of long-term risks to global financial stability.
