Va-Bank

The US government is considering the possibility of excluding Russian banks from the international financial system, if the truce in Ukraine is torn. This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to sources in the White House, who took part in the discussion of sanctions.

According to the interlocutors of the agency, blocking even one or more Russian banks will lead to a significant exacerbation of bilateral relations and can cause far -reaching consequences, especially for the European economy. The extreme measure that is considered in the Barack Obama administration will be the complete exclusion of Russian banks from the Western financial system.

Perhaps at first intermediate steps will be taken, such as a ban on banking operations in dollars for Russian banks, the agency’s interlocutors noted. The introduction of the Russian bank to the special list of the US Treasury will mean that the US citizens and residents, as well as the companies registered in this country, will be prohibited from doing business with Russian banks from the sanctions list. In addition, the American authorities will receive the right to arrest any assets of such banks under the jurisdiction of the United States. Similar sanctions last spring wereintroduced against Rossiya Bank .

Bloomberg sources called unlikely the introduction of new sanctions to the European Union summit, which will be held on March 19. However, they called such a step inevitable if by this time the separatists resume the offensive.

According to special services, Vladimir Putin will continue the supply of weapons to separatists, sources in the US military and intelligence community told the agency. The next military purpose will probably be Mariupol or Kharkov.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington had prepared new sanctions against Moscow . Their the head of the State Department has been dependent on compliance with or compliance by Russia with agreements concluded on February 12 in Minsk. What exactly will be the new sanctions of Washington, Kerry did not specify.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that additional sanctions against Moscow are still on the table. “We must be prepared for any development of the situation - both good and bad,” he explained.

The prospect that Moscow will comply with the Minsk agreements, Tusk appreciated skeptically. “We remember that the Minsk agreements were not implemented from 2014,” he remarked. “And if the Minsk Agreement is not observed now, we will not hesitate and take further steps.”

On the eve of Kerry, speaking at the hearing in Congress, he said that Russia was lying , assuring the absence of its troops and weapons in Ukraine. Moscow spreads the "lies about the absence of its forces in Ukraine and non -involvement in the training of militants," said the Secretary of State.