The Kremlin accused the United States on Wednesday of declaring an economic war on Russia that was sowing mayhem through energy markets, and put Washington on notice it was considering its response to a ban on Russian oil and energy.
Beaten-down Russian assets are looking attractive to some, with JPMorgan strategists touting the bonds of Russian companies with significant international operations as the best way to profit from distressed pricing, while two banking sources said that loans of Russian corporates had been offered at a steep discount.
Western sanctions banning several Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments network with the potential threat of more to come if there is no end to the Ukraine conflict is likely to push Moscow to seek alternatives.