US Secretary of State Janet Yallen suggested that countries use blocked Russian money to fight the Russians in Ukraine; French Minister Le Maire disagreed
French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday (February 28, 2024) that the idea that G7 member countries would use blocked Russian money to support Ukraine in the war “has no legal basis.” The proposal was made on Tuesday (February 27) by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
“We understand that this is such an important decision [usar ativos bloqueados de outro país], which consists in the use of state property, requires a very strong legal basis. And this legal basis must be accepted not only by European countries, not only by the G7 countries, but by all member states of the international community,” the French minister told journalists. The information comes from the New York Times newspaper.
He concluded by saying that the European G7 states “should not take any action that could undermine the international legal system” and that the group was “based on the rule of law.”
The governments of France and Russia have exchanged accusations in recent days. On Monday (February 26), French President Emmanuel Macron said that the possibility of sending NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) soldiers to Ukraine to fight Russia “should not be ruled out.”
“Anything is possible if it helps us achieve our goal. “We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia does not win this war,” said the French president when asked. However, he is of the opinion that there is still no consensus on this issue
The Kremlin responded that a military conflict with NATO would be inevitable if the alliance decided to send troops to Ukraine.