Lavrov Describes German Leaders as "Thieves"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described German leaders as "thieves" today, Thursday, after being asked at a press conference in Tunisia about a German proposal to confiscate frozen Russian assets. Prosecutors in Germany stated yesterday, Wednesday, that they had requested the seizure of over 720 million euros (790 million dollars) from the bank account of a Russian financial institution in Frankfurt. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that "the institution is the National Settlement Depository, which is the local payment agent owned by the Moscow Exchange, playing a significant role in the Russian financial system as an intermediary with international markets."