In a new sanctions train announced Saturday, the United States and the European Union also want to disconnect some Russian banks from the Swift exchange system.
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A totally united Western Front, unprecedented economic sanctions: while the Russian army ravages Ukraine, the United States, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom announced on Saturday, February 26, late in The evening, new measures, historical, to punish Russia and dissuade – without great hope – Vladimir Putin to continue his military military business.
“Russia has become a global economic and financial parlia,” said a senior American official, in a press point. If the operational details of these measures will only be specified in the coming days, The communiqué cites two heavy decisions of consequences, on a political and economic level: the desire to cut a number Russian banking institutions in the SWIFT financial information system; That of paralyzing the central bank by depriving it ability to cushion the shock of Western penalties.
The first point has been the subject of innumerable discussions between Americans and European, because of the formidable side effects that could have an expulsion of Russia from the SWIFT system for Western economies. After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, this weapon had been envisaged, and then abandoned, for this reason. Just a few days ago Joe Biden explained that she had been set aside for the moment, because of the European reserves. The carnage triggered by the Russian army in Ukraine looked up, even if it is not a total disconnection.
Avoid a major crisis in the markets
The EU must now formally adopt a directive in this direction, validated in the wake of the SWIFT Board of Directors. Saturday, a senior American official compared SWIFT’s use for banks to Gmail for individuals, either a must-see messaging. Experts are now looking at how to accurately target Russian banks that are not essential in energy contracts, so as not to provoke a major crisis in the markets and an explosion of prices for Western consumers. Are concerned “all Russian banks already sanctioned by the international community, as well as other institutions if necessary,” said German government sources.
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