Kremlin does not rule out Russia’s disconnection from Western payment systems

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov does not rule out the risk of Russia’s disconnection from Western payment systems, given the unfriendly attitude towards the country from a number of states, he told reporters on Tuesday.

"We can say one thing with certainty, that in one form or another, restrictions against Russia are being used by a number of states that pursue the goal of illegally, from the standpoint of international law, containing Russia," he said. "These restrictions are manifested in various forms, and this is a rather unpredictable process. So, within the framework of this process and given such unfriendly, and at times even hostile behavior towards us, nothing can be ruled out," Peskov elaborated.

According to Peskov, the best way to hedge all risks is to create systems that can compensate for the lack of a particular service and various formats of financial support. "That is, systems for strengthening sovereignty in all areas of the economy, banking and so on," he noted.

Russian payment system Mir has already matured enough and with time will gain global distribution, Peskov added. "We see that now this system has already grown quite strong. Yes, it does not have an international circulation yet, but still there are countries where this system can be used. And now no one doubts that this system will eventually will spread globally," he said.