Foreign minister: Estonia cannot help those whose assets are seized by Russia
Estonia cannot help its citizens whose assets in Russia might be seized as retaliation for the Riigikogu's recent decision. Estonian MPs on Wednesday passed an act that enables the use of Russian assets frozen under international sanctions to compensate Ukraine for war damages.
"Russia does not have rule of law. Anything can happen there, and it is impossible to discuss matters with Russia. Therefore, trying to guess at what they might do or not do has nothing to do with the legal sphere," Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) told ERR's Russian-language television channel ETV+ Tuesday.
Estonia cannot protect its citizens and permanent residents from a legal point of view, meaning that everyone will have to decide for themselves what to do with any assets in Russia, the foreign minister noted.
Tsahkna also recalled that Estonia has been warning its entrepreneurs of the dangers and impropriety of doing business in and with Russia for a long time.
Even though economic ties between Estonia and Russia have been reduced to a minimum, some Estonian residents and citizens still have property in Russia, such as summer houses over the border and the River Narva in Ivangorod. It remains unknown whether Russian authorities are preparing to seize these in retaliation for Estonia's decision to seize €37 million worth of Russian assets in Estonia.
On May 15, the Riigikogu passed a law that allows the use of assets belonging to Russian individuals, frozen in Estonia under international sanctions, to compensate for war damages inflicted on Ukraine.
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Editor: Irina Kablukova, Mait Ots
