Russian Intelligence Threatened Belgian Leaders and Euroclear Executives over Frozen Reserves
Russian military intelligence is running an intimidation campaign aimed at preventing the transfer of frozen Russian currency reserves to Ukraine, The Guardian reports, citing European security services.
The assets in question are frozen in Belgium, where Euroclear — the key financial depository holding the bulk of Russia’s reserves — is based. Earlier, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said that Russia would not be defeated and that the frozen assets would ultimately have to be returned to the Kremlin.
According to The Guardian’s sources, the pressure campaign is being carried out by the GRU. Targets reportedly include Euroclear CEO Valérie Urbain and senior Belgian officials. Assessments of the severity of the threats vary, but as one European official put it, “intimidation tactics are clearly being used.”
Now the picture becomes clear.
