The E.U. plans to freeze Putin's assets, diplomats say.

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

BRUSSELS — The European Union will freeze the assets of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and his foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, but will not impose a travel ban on them, two diplomats familiar with the draft E.U. sanctions said on Friday.

The news, which was reported earlier by The Financial Times, came just hours after European leaders meeting into the early hours of Friday hammered out an agreement over a new set of sanctions that they said would hurt the Russian economy and put Mr. Putin under tremendous pressure as his troops advanced in their invasion of Ukraine.

The bloc’s 27 members had been able to push out a first set of sanctions on Wednesday in response to Mr. Putin’s recognition of separatist enclaves in Ukraine, and they did so in record time.

But the second package of penalties, which they described as unprecedented for the European Union in terms of size and reach, was harder to forge consensus on, even as Russian forces approached Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and war in Europe was no longer a theoretical concept, but a devastating reality.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/25/world/russia-ukraine-war/the-eu-plans-to-freeze-putins-assets-diplomats-say

[Walleye]

1. I think maybe Putin is taking advice from Trump at this point

Just a feeling I’m getting. Perhaps Trump has been giving him a warped view of the United States and Joe Biden that just isn’t true. I’m betting Putin has been listening and he’s making these wrong judgments partially based on that. He is drunk with power and trumps flattery

[hamsterjill]

6. No. I think it's the other way around.

Putin has Trump figured out and uses him for what he’s worth and what he can give.

In that relationship, Putin is the master; Trump is the puppet.

[ificandream]

9. Yup. Putin has Trump on a dog leash.

[secondwind]

2. Don't announce it, just do it.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. Freeze ALL of Russia's money outside of Russia.

Where Russia does business. From Putin on down.

Yes, the pain will be felt by all. An alternative to war, massive death, and more world condemnation.

China, on the other hand, is watching closely as they eye the same thing about Taiwan. They are not only a Nuclear power, they are an Economic one as well. They could inflict the most damage.

[L. Coyote]

4. The events on the ground in Ukraine are no doubt forging a consensus, and

well beyond the initial expectations I bet. Especially with the Chernobyl threat increase.

[Cracklin Charlie]

5. Do we get to find out?

What are all these assets these men hold?

Putin makes (salary) 150K per year. iirc
I assume Lavrov salary is somewhat lower.

How many assets do they have?

[hydrolastic]

10. "Planning" is not doing it.

Putin already expects it! NPR said yesterday that Putin has been preparing by buying gold. So do it and stop screwing around while trying to get them to pay attention to your threat.

[gab13by13]

7. It will be hard to find out where their money is.

[BlueWavePsych]

8. Do it!