[_ncyj]

https://archive.is/20250623093918/https://www.ft.com/content...

I have doubts the current US administration would let them without some sort of retaliation (e.g. more tariffs)

[ggm]

Doesn't this basically justify why they have qualms? To not seek to repatriate in this circumstance would seem politically unwise, if you value the gold.

If of course it's just a bargaining tool, you would think there is a quit pro quo.

Whilst the impact of a refusal to repatriate would be high remember the gold is probably not performing very much of a role, beyond a defensive one, and is nothing like the whole of their stocks. And the cost to US standing in enacting a refusal to NATO allies would be significant: You would expect future gold deposits to seek safer harbours for one, and the retention of the dollar as a hedge currency would be called into even more question.

In any case, it's a matter for law. On what grounds could the US refuse?

[jeroenhd]

I wouldn't expect the US to care too much about things like "NATO allies" with a head of state that expressed repeated desire to leave NATO.

> On what grounds could the US refuse?

"You need our trade more than we need your trade" is a very useful property to have when it comes to international law. Putting people you don't like on sanction lists, like people investigating your ally's war crimes, also seems to work pretty well. When push comes to shove, there's always "we have more guns than you", though American diplomatic action generally prefers to overthrow governments and install new, more US-aligned leadership as a head of state.

If it's a matter of law, you need someone to enforce that law.

[bryanrasmussen]

>And the cost to US standing in enacting a refusal to NATO allies would be significant:

yeah, I mean, this administration really doesn't seem to mind taking on significant costs - to the country I mean. I don't think the administration likes the idea of bearing significant costs themselves.

[reedf1]

If your friend goes to an ATM for $20 and their bank fines them with a large percentage fee on their income; are you likely to also choose this bank?

[PicassoCTs]

You assume you are trying to run the bank profitable. But maybe you are just a very good friend, of another bank, that wants to see your bank bankrupt?

[627467]

You just discovered the concept of natural monopoly

[stackedinserter]

If I go to any bank to withdraw $50000 in cash, they won't let me either.

[roenxi]

The US might literally just not give it to them. Germany has been trying to ask for their gold back for a while IIRC and they generally get an explanation that paraphrases to it being a very complex operation to pull off and they should come back next year.

The US has enough leverage over Germany that the Nord Stream incident is still an unsolved mystery where everyone just moved on. Probably the Russians did it. That's a lot of leverage.

[holowoodman]

The official line in Germany is actually that Ukraine most probably did it: https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/nordstream-17... https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/nord-stream-s... https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/nord-stream-pipeline-explos...

Knowledge or agreement by Selensky is unclear, but there seem to be hints. Poland might have been complicit or at least turned a blind eye and seems to have let a wanted suspect escape to Ukraine.

[andy_ppp]

People struggle with uncertainty so much that any magical thinking they can come up with will do… we simply don’t know the truth on this at all.

[niffydroid]

I thought this has been attributed to pro russian Ukrainians on the far right?

[lovasoa]

A consortium of investigative journalists investigated and attributed the attacks the Ukraine's secret service: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord_Stream_pipelines_sabotage

[gsky]

They introduced new tax on remittance already. Germany would never dare to anger USA anyway

[delfinom]

Gonna be real rough when every country stops buying US debt.