Vladmir Putin signs decree allowing the seizure of US assets
Radio Free Europe
Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the seizure of US assets in Russia as compensation for the unjustified deprivation of Russian property rights due to US sanctions. The decree enables Russian authorities to seize movable and immovable property of the United States, American companies and citizens located in Russia, including securities, shares in Russian companies, and other property rights.
Under the procedure outlined in the decree, the Russian government or central bank can file a claim in court to establish the fact of unjustified deprivation of property rights due to US actions and seek compensation. If the court accepts the claim, it will refer the case to a government commission that will identify specific US assets in Russia to be seized, taking into account the principle of proportionality to compensate for damages from seized Russian assets in the US.
The court's decision allows for the termination of US rights to the listed property and the transfer of those rights to the Russian claimant as compensation. The Russian government will determine which body is authorized to file claims in court. Putin instructed the government to implement measures to enforce the decree within four months.
Context:
Professor John Mearsheimer's central argument is that the United States and NATO are primarily responsible for provoking Russia's invasion of Ukraine by expanding the NATO alliance eastward towards Russia's borders, despite warnings from Russia that this was an unacceptable threat to its security interests.
Mearsheimer contends that after the Cold War ended, the U.S. and its NATO allies should not have continued enlarging NATO and bringing it closer to Russia's borders, as this was perceived by Russia as an existential threat.
He argues that the U.S. pushed to have Ukraine join NATO, which from Russia's perspective crossed a red line, as Ukraine is a crucial buffer state for Russia's security.
Mearsheimer claims the U.S. and NATO allies dismissed Russian security concerns and warnings about Ukraine joining NATO, essentially backing Russia into a corner where it felt compelled to invade Ukraine to prevent it from joining the alliance.
He believes this U.S.-led NATO expansion towards Russia's borders was the primary driver behind Russia's decision to invade, rather than offensive motives by Russia to rebuild its empire.
However, many analysts have criticized Mearsheimer's thesis, arguing that it ignores Ukraine's sovereign right to choose its own alliances, dismisses Russian imperial ambitions, and places too much blame on U.S. actions rather than Russian aggression.
Critics contend that even if NATO expansion was provocative, it does not justify or excuse Russia's illegal invasion of a neighboring country.
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