QUESTION: Marty, you said this is a perfect storm behind the metals between sovereign debt and war. I believe you said that the EU wants war with Russia or keeps up the appearance of war so they can keep the $350 billion they stole from Russia that included personal assets of Russians not all government assets. I think I remember that you also said Ukraine suspended all payment on its sovereign debt. Am I on the right track?
WP
ANSWER: Absolutely. At least 40% of the “Russian” assets seized by the EU are private assets like houses and yachts belonging to anyone who was just Russian. The EU is broke and they do not care about international law. They pretend that seizing private assets of Russian citizens is lawful when it is outright theft.
They are now stirring up hatred against Americans as well and they will use war to freeze any American private investments in the EU as well using war as the excuse. There is a large anti-American sentiment that they are fueling for they need to justify defaulting on American investors that are private assets as well. Europeans should get some assets out of the EU for they are desperate to save the bureaucracy – not the people. The EU is a failure. Listen to Merz speak at Davos and you will see the fragmentation unfolding. They are shutting down free speech fearing that the people will wise up and storm their Parliament.
Ukraine suspended payments on approximately $20 billion in international bonds in 2022, and bondholders agreed to a two-year payment freeze Kiev. In September 2024, Ukraine completed a restructuring of about $20.5 billion in international bonds with over 97% bondholder participation. The representative bondholder committee, comprised some of the world’s largest asset managers and other long-term investors in Ukraine.
The restructuring involved bondholders accepting a 37% write-off of their claims, with new bonds issued at reduced interest rates that will gradually increase over time. Only a fool would buy Ukrainian assets or debt. Any fund investing in Ukraine should be sold.
The Group of Creditors of Ukraine includes Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with observers including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
These official creditors extended their debt service suspension until the end of March 2027 U.S. Department of the Treasury, while the private bondholders completed their restructuring in 2024.
My sources report that Ukraine also has smaller amounts owed to companies like Cargill Financial Services International, but refuses to provide a comprehensive list of all specific bondholders.
The European Union is now moving forward rapidly with the issuance of stable coins through a consortium of major banks, aiming to create a euro-pegged stable coin called Qivalis, which is expected to launch in the second half of 2026. This initiative is part of a broader effort to regulate digital assets under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). It is also a way to issue debt. They hope with a euro-backed stabble coin, they will be able to sell this in Asia, Africa, and North America for as they beat the war drums, you have to be out of your mind to buy euro debt.
The EU stable coin seems to be the backup for their unpopular digital euro, which most now see as 100% total control. They have pushed for making it criminal to buy anything with €1,000 euros in cash. They trust nobody and they are desperate for money. If you pay in cash, you are a criminal in their view.
This the the oldest game in the book. When you have a domestic crisis, find an external enemy to blame. It’s like the kid who tells the teacher that they did the homework, but the cat ate it, and then an illegal migrant ate their cat.
