(Berlin) Western countries have adopted new sanctions against Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine, in particular by deciding to exclude many Russian banks from the Swift interbank platform, an essential cog in global finance, the German government has announced. .
Posted at 5:10 p.m.
Updated at 6:35 p.m.
Are concerned “all the Russian banks already sanctioned by the international community, as well as if necessary that other institutes”, specified the spokesman of the German government, whose country currently chairs the G7 forum.
These measures have been taken by the United States, France, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, Italy and the European Commission.
“Canada supports the withdrawal of Russian banks from SWIFT, and the targeting and restriction of Putin’s war chest,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada Chrystia Freeland said on Twitter.
In addition, the Western partners have decided to further restrict the access of the Russian central bank to the capital markets, in order to make more difficult its attempts to support the course of the rouble, in decline following the war in Ukraine.
According to the European Union, about 70% of the Russian banking sector is currently affected by the sanctions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken of “crippling” the assets of the Russian central bank.
PHOTO OLIVIER HOSLET, ASSOCIATED PRESS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
The new sanctions will finally go after the Russian oligarchs and their families to prevent them from obtaining the nationality of Western countries, the “golden passport”.
All of these countries (the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Canada, Italy and the European Commission) “have stressed their readiness to take further action if Russia does not halt to its attack on Ukraine and therefore on peace in Europe,” the spokesperson stressed.
A financial pariah
Sanctions aimed at excluding Russian banks from the global system and hampering the country’s central bank make Russia a financial “pariah” facing a “freefalling” ruble, a senior US official said on Saturday.
“Russia has become a global economic and financial pariah,” he said, and the Russian central bank “cannot support the rouble.” “Only Putin can decide what additional cost he is willing to bear,” the official said, adding that a task force will “hun down” the “yachts, jets, luxury cars and luxury homes” of Russian oligarchs.