Ukraine to pressure foreign banks over Russia ties – media

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has developed a mechanism that would pressure international banks with subsidiaries in both Ukraine and Russia to abandon the latter, the outlet Strana.ua reported on Monday.

According to a letter from the NBU see by the outlet, if a foreign bank does not shut down its business in Russia, the Ukrainian regulator would be entitled to take over management of the company’s local subsidiary.

The report indicated that should the NBU find a company has a “flawed business reputation,” then the foreign shareholder would be deprived of the right to vote at meetings. This would reportedly essentially entail the dismissal of the management.

The NBU document reportedly listed nine foreign banks that have subsidiaries both in Ukraine and Russia. Those are Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), Hungary’s OTP Bank, French BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole, Sweden’s SEB, US Citi Group, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo, Dutch lender ING, and Germany’s Deutsche Bank. The listed lenders have maintained their presence in the Russian market despite Western sanctions.

To avoid punitive measures in Ukraine, according to the report, the parent structure of a foreign bank operating in Russia would have to initiate the process of pulling out of the country. The NBU will require a detailed plan indicating the timing of withdrawal from the Russian market. The regulator has reserved the right to “take action” if a deadline is violated.

Ukraine has been putting pressure on foreign companies operating in Russia, adding them to its so-called list of “international sponsors of war.” However, the list was later abandoned following complaints from other countries.