In somewhat surprising statements and what can be viewed as a very frank 'concession', President Vladimir Putin has said  Russia is "ready" to part with its $300 billion in frozen assets, framing it as a another way which accelerates Russia's and its allies' shift away from Western-dominated financial systems.

"A significant amount of Russian gold and currency assets is frozen in Western banks. They keep telling us they intend to steal our money," Putin said before the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) summit in Minsk on Thursday.

If the West does simply take the funds in the end, it would create an "irreversible trend toward the regionalization of payment systems" - and this in the long run would benefit the global economy. "I think it is probably worth paying for," Putin mused, while further describing the Moscow aims to strengthen its own financial settlement systems with "friendly states."

For now, the some $300 billion in Russian Central Bank assets currently frozen (mostly in Europe) hasn't been fully or outright appropriated permanently, but instead the plan is to fund Ukraine's defense based on interest earned on the significant assets.

This plan is already in effect, with for example former President Biden at the tail-end of his administration having announced that it disbursed a $20 billion loan for Ukraine, to eventually be paid back using interest earned on frozen Russian Central Bank assets.

The US Treasury Secretary had said the following at the time:

"These funds — paid for by the windfall proceeds earned from Russia’s own immobilized assets — will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support as it defends its country against an unprovoked war of aggression."

"The $50 billion collectively being provided by the G7 through this initiative will help ensure Ukraine has the resources it needs to sustain emergency services, hospitals, and other foundations of its brave resistance," the statement said.

The Kremlin has consistently decried this as "theft" and "simply robbery" while vowing that retaliation will soon come.

Meanwhile, some 'respect' still thrown Trump's way by Putin...

President Putin fresh words suggest Moscow is resigning itself to a situation where it won't see the funds handed back for anytime in the foreseeable future, at a moment Russia continues strengthening economic ties with BRICS countries.