Visa and MasterCard cut off Sanctioned Russian bank.

[riqster]

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/putin-shows-support-for-sanctioned-bank/496587.html

The recent sanctions are starting to bite Putin in his most vulnerable place: the Russian economy. The bank in question is owned by two Putin cronies.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday announced that Washington was levying a new round of sanctions affecting 20 Russian officials and businessmen, but also Bank Rossia, which is chaired and part owned by businessman Yuri Kovalchuk, who is one of the 20.
The United States Treasury Department stated that Bank Rossia is used by senior Russian officials and that its shareholders include members of Putin's inner circle.
Visa and MasterCard later stopped, without notification, providing services for payment transactions for the clients of Bank Rossia and SMP bank, co-owned by brothers Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, who were also on the latest U.S. sanctions list.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. And Russian Billionaires on Yachts

heads' explode around the world.

Now it's impacting the wealthiest of the wealthy in Russia - perhaps this will calm things down?

[riqster]

2. Perhaps. The Oligarchy are essential support for the regime.

So they can get their voices heard.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Or -

Does the Regime support the Oligarchs?

Article at Forbes . . .
http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2014/03/20/u-s-treasury-sanctions-four-russian-billionaires-for-ukraine-involvement/


Third largest number of billionaires residing in a country? Russia with 111.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_the_number_of_US_dollar_billionaires


USA, China, Russia - what are these billionaires up to with this crap?

[riqster]

5. It does seem to be a rather malignant sort of symbiosis.

[Javaman]

3. How to stop a crazy nation in one step...

cut off it's credit cards.