Medvedev, who advises Vladimir Putin on national security issues, told the Telegram on Wednesday that Russian companies whose assets are subject to sanctions will move legally to the US, the EU and elsewhere. “Our opponents … must understand that they will face a large number of cases in the courts. “Both in the national courts of the United States and Europe and in the international courts,” Medvedev wrote. Since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and other allies have targeted sanctions on a number of Russia’s richest businessmen and companies, from state-controlled banks to manufacturers. weapons. Medvedev served as president between 2008 and 2012, before Putin took over the presidency. Medvedev is the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, which is headed by Putin and advises the president on national security, and has used the Telegram to issue a series of threats and comments on sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Medvedev himself was added to the US sanctions list on Wednesday, adding to the EU, the United Kingdom and others. Many of the sanctions against Russian interests include the seizure of assets. Affected trophy assets include corporate shares, such as the shares of billionaire Roman Abramovich in Chelsea Football Club and the London-based steel company Evraz. There is also a growing list of superyachts and planes associated with oligarchs that are not allowed to leave in friendlier ports. In the UK, an asset freeze prevents property owners such as land, buildings, corporate shares or works of art from gaining any financial benefit from them, including through their sale. However, these assets were not legally seized. The Russian government has shown in the past that it is capable of using the courts of other countries. In a notable case, the Russian state has successfully prosecuted Sergei Pugachev, a former Kremlin official who campaigned for Putin, in London courts to claim ownership of the British property that Russia allegedly bought. In a Telegram post, Medvedev acknowledged that the judiciary in the United States and Europe had “a significant degree of independence,” but complained that sanctions against Russian businessmen were like the Spanish Inquisition.
