Official: US sanctions may not disconnect Russia from SWIFT

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/MUNICH, Feb 21 (PRIME) -- Russia's disconnection from the banking messaging system SWIFT will probably not be included in the U.S. sanctions, Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh said on February 18.

"Well, all options remain on the table.  But it’s probably not going to be the case that you’ll see SWIFT in the initial rollout package.  We have other severe measures we can take that our Allies and partners are ready to take in lockstep with us, and that don’t have the same spillover effects.  But we always will monitor these options, and we’ll — we’ll revise our judgments as time goes on," Singh said.

The official also said that possible sanctions against Russia would not target its ability to supply energy to the global market.

On Monday, the media reported that a preliminary package of sanctions against Russian banks was prepared by the presidential administration and would be implemented in case of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Damage to the Russian economy was to be attained through the break of correspondent relations between the banks. Some Russian officials will also be blacklisted.

Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger said at the briefing that Russia could be involved in cyberattacks on the Ukrainian banks, the Russian embassy in the U.S. denied the claims.

U.K. Foreign Minister Liz Truss said that the country would forbid Russian oligarchs entrance and capital moves, and restrict Russia's access to the market of sovereign debt.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia's State Duma, the lower chamber of the parliament, said that sanctions against Russia will be adopted in any case, but no one is scared of them. "Regardless of whether we do something or not, whether we do, Washington and Brussels will always make up accusations," he said.

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