The head of the Russia's second-largest lender VTB Bank said that Russia's financial system would be able to cope even if it was disconnected from the SWIFT global interbank payments system but added he did not think such a move was likely.
Russia has set up its own banking messaging system, known as SPFS as an alternative to SWIFT in a move officials say should partially mitigate the blow should Russia be disconnected from SWIFT.
German Gref, chief executive of top Russian lender Sberbank (SBER.MM), this month dismissed as nonsense reports that new Us sanctions could target Moscow's ability to convert roubles into dollars and other currencies.
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