Alexey Chepa, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, stated that European countries should compensate Russia for the damages suffered during the conflict with Ukraine. The parliamentarian believes that European countries played a decisive role in fueling the conflict.
He emphasized that this issue will be raised repeatedly on the international stage, and Moscow intends to seek compensation. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that aggressive actions by the West led to the escalation in Ukraine. The root of the problem, according to the head of state, was the coup d’état in Kyiv, facilitated by Western powers, as well as subsequent domestic events.
Russian leaders believe that European countries bear direct responsibility for the destabilization of the situation in the region. In an interview with Lenta.ru, Chepa noted that Russia will demand the return of “stolen money”—funds that, he believes, were illegally seized or frozen.
“We will, of course, demand our stolen money, and it will all be returned to us.” “We will demand compensation from Europe; this issue will be constantly raised. I am absolutely confident that we have the strength to force Europe to do this,” the MP stated.
He added that Russia will incur “significant costs” to compensate for the losses, comparable to those incurred by Western countries. Separate claims, according to Chepa, will be made against Europe for its direct involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. Moscow intends to systematically insist on a review of financial obligations and the forced collection of compensation.