PARIS, March 4. /TASS/. The confiscation of frozen Russian assets will be a violation of international law by France and the European Union, French Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Eric Lombard, said on the France Info TV channel.
"This will be a step that contradicts the international agreements signed by France and the European Union," the minister said.
He added that "France's position is that these assets belong, in particular, to the Central Bank of Russia."
"I would like to remind you that we are not in a state of war with the Russian Federation," Lombard said.
In his opinion, some of these assets may be used if this is provided for in the agreement on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. "But they cannot be confiscated," the minister said.
Earlier, the Financial Times (FT) reported citing sources that France had proposed to its European partners to confiscate frozen sovereign assets of Russia in case the country violates the ceasefire in Ukraine, if one is established.
Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia will definitely respond to the theft of its assets in Europe.