OREANDA-NEWS  The next sanctions of the European Union (EU) against Russian banks are air fluctuations and zilch, said Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market. He was quoted by TASS.

He drew attention to the fact that not only the backbone, but also small and medium-sized Russian banks were ready to be disconnected from SWIFT. They already have an alternative for making such calculations. In addition, SWIFT-independent mechanisms are implemented.

Aksakov is confident that the restrictions that the EU has resorted to are primarily hitting the West itself, as they undermine confidence in its financial system.

Earlier it was reported that the 18th package of sanctions against Russia involves a ban on all transactions with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and its subsidiaries. In addition, restrictive measures are being introduced against 22 banks.

According to Nikolai Arefyev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, the new sanctions, which impose duties on states trading with Russia, could put Moscow in a difficult position.