In Russia, proposals for the possible forced seizure of funds from citizens' and companies' accounts to finance military needs are being discussed at a high level. This is reported by The Washington Post.
According to the publication, as the federal budget deficit grows and sovereign reserves are depleted, authorities are looking for additional sources of financing.
The reason for the intensification of the discussion was a speech by the head of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Gennady Zyuganov, in parliament, where he stated the need to tap into large private savings.
The politician proposed "mobilizing" about 130 trillion rubles held in bank accounts of citizens and enterprises. "This money is invested neither in production nor in victory. This problem can be solved quickly. If I were president, I would do it with one decree," he said.
At the same time, according to sources, the Russian Ministry of Finance is considering possible mechanisms for accessing part of the pension savings held in private funds. We are talking about sums on the order of tens of billions of dollars.
The initiatives have caused concern in business circles and intensified discussions about the possible consequences of such measures for the country's financial system.
