Sergey Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, claimed in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper that Western countries, particularly NATO member states, are planning to significantly increase military spending. He said this will be done at the expense of reduced social services, higher taxes, and increased debt.
He added, “Stealing and misusing other nations’ money has become a common practice in the West. For example, this applies to the funds of Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan.”
Shoigu also stated that in order to reduce public backlash, the European Union is expected to use Russia’s frozen assets.
It is worth noting that following the rise of the interim Afghan government to power, the United States froze $9.5 billion of Afghanistan’s assets in addition to imposing extensive economic sanctions.