MEPs came up with an initiative to disconnect Russia from the interbank system for transmitting information about SWIFT payments, follows from the draft resolution published on the website of the European Parliament on Wednesday, April 28.
In addition, the authors of the document also demanded that the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline be stopped and that the import of Russian oil and gas be abandoned. It is also proposed to freeze the European assets of “oligarchs close to the Russian authorities” and cancel their visas.
These measures are proposed to be taken in the event that “the build-up of the military presence develops into an invasion of Ukraine by Russia.”
At the same time, the deputies expressed regret over the current relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia, which is due to the “aggression of the Russian side” and “destabilization in Ukraine”, as well as Moscow’s alleged hostile behavior and direct attacks on EU member states.
The document also mentions the criminal prosecution of blogger Alexei Navalny and Russia’s “criminal activities” in the Czech Republic.
The decision of the European Parliament is not of a declarative nature, but is a recommendation for the EU countries.
Earlier, on April 22, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba called on the EU to consider the possibility of “disconnecting Russia” from SWIFT. In his opinion, such a measure could be included in a new package of anti-Russian sanctions in the event of an escalation of the situation in eastern Ukraine.
In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the country has a base for creating an analogue of SWIFT. The minister specified that there should be a guarantee against damage that, in theory, could be additionally caused by third parties.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin also said that the country will use other opportunities if it is disconnected from SWIFT, but so far the state has not abandoned this system. According to him, the issue of possible partners in case of developing an alternative to the international payment system is not currently being discussed.
The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) is an international interbank system for data transmission and payments, to which more than 11 thousand of the largest organizations are connected in almost all countries of the world.