Moscow. May 19. INTERFAX-Threats to disconnect Russia from the SWIFT payment system exacerbate risks in the country's economy, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergey Vakhrukov said in an interview with Interfax.
"There are new risks of economic development, increased threats related to financial problems. We are constantly threatened with disabling SWIFT. They are trying to limit us in loans, in the possibilities of influencing financial institutions, " Vakhrukov said.
He noted that new sanctions continue to be imposed on Russia, which "are becoming more and more sophisticated."
In addition, according to him, the issues of information security have reached a new level. "Some two or three years ago, we could not even imagine that large multinational information giants would be able to block the president of one of the largest powers, not give him the opportunity to express his point of view in any way. (. . .) This is a completely different reality that we need to take into account, " Vakhrukov said.
The topic of possible disconnection of Russia from SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications - Society of Global Interbank Financial Communication Channels) arose in 2014 after the first anti-Russian sanctions. Since then, this issue has been periodically raised and discussed at various levels. It became acute again a few months ago against the background of the deterioration of the political situation in relation to Russia.
Earlier in May, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (recognized in the Russian Media as a foreign agent) evaded a direct answer to the question about the possibility of excluding Russia from SWIFT.
"I don't want to get into hypothetical questions about what we can do in the future. Let me just say that if it comes to trying to contain aggression and respond to it, we will consider all reasonable options, " the head of American diplomacy said.