Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that the United States' transfer of $1 billion to Ukraine could potentially become grounds for legal action, as he claimed the funds were "stolen" from Russia.

"Speaking in Russian, this money has been stolen from us. And our assets, which are frozen, are also frozen completely illegally. This contradicts all norms and rules," Peskov said and added that Russia will "use all opportunities to protect our rights and the rights to our property."

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed yesterday that the US sent the first billion out of the planned $20 billion funded by Russian frozen assets. He said he expects all Russian sovereign assets to be confiscated and sent to Ukraine for reconstruction.