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Sberbank considers actions of Ukraine’s authorities discriminatory

Russia’s top lender has asked Kiev to unblock the operation of its branches

© EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russia’s top lender Sberbank considers the actions of the authorities of Ukraine against the banks with Russian capital operating in the country, discriminatory and politically motivated and asks Kiev to unblock the operation of the bank's branches, an official with the press service of Sberbank told reporters.

"We are disappointed by the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to impose sanctions on PJSC Sberbank (Ukraine) and consider this decision discriminatory, politically motivated and not caused by any actions of our subsidiary bank that violate the laws of Ukraine," the official said.

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"We appeal to the President of Ukraine to restore the law and order, to unblock the central and other divisions of the bank and provide normal conditions for the bank's servicing of its clients. These are several tens of thousands of Ukrainian legal entities and more than a million private clients who are citizens of Ukraine," the bank said.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko imposed sanctions against five banks with Russian state capital operating in the Ukrainian market, according to the president’s press service.

Sanctions were introduced after the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine adopted the day before. Restrictions are introduced for a year against Sberbank, VS Bank, Prominvestbank, VTB Bank and BM Bank.

Sanctions include a ban on withdrawal of funds outside of Ukraine, as well as payment of dividends, interest, return of interbank deposits and loans, funds from correspondent accounts of subordinated debt. The ban also concerns distribution of profits and capital of these five banks. At the same time, restrictions, according to the National Bank of Ukraine, do not prohibit settlements between residents of Ukraine and their counterparties who have accounts in the parent structures.

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