Former Russian president warns Moscow may seize 'valuables of the British Crown'

Dmitry Medvedev has warned Moscow may seize "valuables of the British Crown" in revenge for the UK using frozen Russian assets to fund military support for Ukraine.

The former Russian president, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, issued the warning after Britain announced a package of around £1bn for Kyiv's war effort on Wednesday. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the package was paid for by frozen Russian assets.

In a message shared from his Telegram account, Mr Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's security council, said Moscow could seize British assets and take more Ukrainian territory in response to the move. He also referred to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy as "the English idiot".

Mr Medvedev wrote: "British thieves transferred Russian money to neo-Nazis. Consequences? Britain committed an offence." He added that Russia would respond to "any illegal seizure of frozen Russian funds or profits" by seizing the "valuables of the British Crown" including British property in Russia.

In response to Russian assets being frozen by the UK, Mr Medvedev wrote: "Given that the money cannot be recovered in court for obvious reasons, our country has only one way to return the valuables: return it in kind. That is 'Ukrainian land' and other immovable and movable property located on it." The UK and other Western allies have been imposing sanctions on Moscow and seizing Russian assets since Mr Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

On Wednesday, Britain announced it was imposing sanctions on 11 individuals and entities it claims have been linked with Moscow's alleged attempts to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children. Trump says Europe must put pressure on China Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump joined a call at a summit of Ukraine's allies in Paris on Thursday.

A White House official has said Mr Trump "emphasised that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war". The official said Moscow received €1.1bn in fuel sales from the EU in one year and added: "(Mr Trump) also emphasised that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia's war efforts." It came after French President Emmanuel Macron said at the summit that 26 of Ukraine's allies have pledged to deploy troops as a "reassurance force" for the war-torn country once fighting ends in the conflict with Russia.

Speaking after a meeting of the so-called "coalition of the willing" in Paris, Mr Macron said the countries had committed to deploying troops in Ukraine - or to maintaining a presence on land, at sea, or in the air - to help guarantee the country's security the day after a ceasefire or peace is achieved. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Macron and other European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the the US envoy for peace talks, Steve Witkoff, to discuss ways of ensuring long-term military support and continued American backing for Ukraine once the conflict ends.

Mr Zelenskyy's office said he had also held a closed-door meeting with Mr Witkoff. Mr Macron said at a news conference alongside Mr Zelenskyy that the reassurance force "does not have the will or the objective of waging war against Russia.