SIMFEROPOL, December 26. /TASS/. US sanctions against several Crimean banks are unable to upset the services they provide to clients, the republic’s leader Sergey Aksyonov has said.
"Sanctions cannot harm them in any way. For instance, Genbank is a Russian bank. It has no divisions or offices outside the country and its core business is in Crimea’s territory. I see no threats to it in that respect," Aksyonov told the media on Friday.
On December 22 the United States expanded the list of Russian individuals and organizations under sanctions in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. The so-called "Crimean list" grew to incorporate Genbank, Krasnodar regional investment bank, Verkhnevolzhsky commercial bank, Sevastopol Maritime Bank, Universal-Avia air carrier, three wineries (Massandra, Novy Svet and Magarach), the Azov winery and distillery, Lower Oreanda resort, Russian company Tekhnopromexport and the Yalta film studios.
"We have been able to see for the past eighteen months the Department of State is keen to do something each day to harm us. But we live in a new world and we have a clear understanding the Western leaders cannot be counted on," Aksyonov said.
The speaker of Crimea’s parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, has confirmed that the sanctions will have no economic effect.
"From the moral point of view the sanctions are insulting, but they can cause no material damage to us," he said.