The European Union (EU) today froze assets of Russian organizations and personalities worth 21.5 billion euros, said the Commissioner for Justice of the bloc, Didier Reynders.

Brussels.- Reynders also said Friday they are now working on the assets of the Central Bank of Russia and that some transactions are already frozen.

On the other hand, The EU Council reported that the permanent representatives of the member states set up a special working group to search for legislative mechanisms to use the aforementioned frozen assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said yesterday that his government will take the necessary countermeasures and described as illegal any kind of action that would attempt to appropriate his country’s assets frozen by the Europeans. (PL)