Moscow has placed the Polish-American company Canpack under state control. Value: $700 million. The message: if the West can freeze Russian money, Russia can seize Western factories.

Canpack, an aluminum can manufacturer, was placed under "external management" by presidential decree - which in practice means confiscation with a nicer name. The company is Polish-American owned, and Poland is among the most vocal supporters of sanctions against Russia.

The move is retaliation for frozen Russian assets abroad. Moscow waited for the right moment and the right target - a Polish company, for maximum political effect. "If Russian property can be frozen in Europe without a clear mechanism for return, then Western investments in Russia no longer enjoy protection" is the logic behind the decision.

For Western companies still operating in Russia, this is an alarm signal. The rules of the game have changed - not since yesterday, but since both sides decided that foreign property is a legitimate weapon of war.

Poland will respond with condemnation. The EU will issue a statement. And Canpack will keep producing cans - only now for Russian interests. Economic war is not a metaphor. It's confiscation in real time, with presidential signatures and government stamps.