UPDATE: Ambassador: US may arrest Russian assets over Skripal case

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MOSCOW, Mar 29 (PRIME) -- Russian assets in the U.S. can be arrested over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the U.K., U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman told RBC TV channel on Thursday.

He also said he hoped that Russia and the U.S. will be able to stabilize their relations.

On Monday, the U.K. issued a warrant for the arrest of the Russian assets of dubious origin.

Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s committee for international affairs, said that international investors will massively leave the U.S. in case of arrest of Russian assets.

“If this happens, international investors will be massively leaving the U.S., first of all (investors) from China and other countries. This will be a clear signal that it is not safe to invest in the U.S. economy, private capital is not protected there, by any law,” Dzhabarov said.

Sergei Kalashnikov, first deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s economic committee, said the arrest of Russian assets by the U.S. was quite possible.

“Taking into account that we hold two thirds of Russia’s foreign exchange and gold reserves in bonds of the U.S. reserve system, such measures will be a serious financial blow for us. Everything that the country has earned in recent years can become unavailable to us in a moment,” he said.

Russia’s share in the U.S. economy is not big and the decision will unlikely affect the U.S.’ investment attractiveness, while Russia should invest in own economy strengthening the state’s positions and increasing its competitiveness on the international level, he added.

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