Medvedev turns against the dollar – Rosbalt

 

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev explained the determination of the Russian authorities to minimize the use of the US dollar in foreign trade due to the consequences of the aggressive and “stupid” economic policy of the United States. He said this today, speaking at the Gaidar Forum in Moscow.

The prime minister recalled that the Russian authorities are striving to expand “the use of the ruble and other currencies in foreign trade agreements”, in addition, in recent months have “seriously reduced” the investments in US Treasury bonds (Treasury bonds U.S).

Russia De-Dollarizes Deeper: Shifts $100 Billion To Yuan, Yen, And Euro

 

Russia is continuing to ramp up its efforts to move away from the American dollar.  The country just shifted $100 billion of its reserves to the yuan, the yen, and the euro in their ongoing effort to ditch the dollar.

The Central Bank of Russia has moved further away from its reliance on the United States dollar and has axed its share in the country’s foreign reserves to a historic low, transferring about $100 billion into euro, Japanese yen, and Chinese yuan according to a report by RT. The share of the U.S. dollar in Russia’s international reserves portfolio has dramatically decreased in just three months between March and June 2018.  The holding decreased from 43.7 percent to a new low of 21.9 percent, according to the Central Bank’s latest quarterly report, which is issued with a six-month lag.

Russia’s on the Way Back

 

Russia is poised to break out of its oil-related slump and become one of the best performing emerging markets economies in the years ahead. This sleeping giant is breaking its dependence on oil prices and embraces diversified growth.

When you hear the name “Russia” you probably run for cover. Russia has been the subject of nearly continuous media coverage bordering on frenzy since the election of Donald Trump last November.

Russia and China Finding Ways to Avoid the U.S. Dollar

ISTOCK.COM/RONNIECHUA

 

It is becoming easier to imagine the coming post-American financial order.

At Bretton Woods in 1944, the world’s major powers settled on a new financial system. That system of world finance was dominated by America. When the system fell apart in 1971, countries switched to floating exchange rates, but the U.S. dollar remained the reserve currency. But today, in the post-global-financial-crisis world, Russia and China are finding new ways to avoid using the dollar.

Iran, Russia May Agree to Trade in Local Currencies ‘Very Soon’

Dethroning of the petrodollar continues:

 

Tehran and Moscow may reach an official agreement on carrying out transactions in national currencies “very soon,” Hossein Yaghoubi Miab, the director general of the international affairs department of Iran’s Central Bank, told Sputnik.

ST PETERSBURG (Sputnik) – Russia has recently started to actively promote financial agreements with Iranian and Chinese bankers in a bid to shift bilateral trading to national currencies to reduce their dependence on the US dollar.

Russia adds yuan as currency reserve

The Central Bank of Russia has included the Chinese yuan in its reserve currency basket, TASS reports. The move is expected to boost the yuan’s presence in the Russian financial market.

As of December 31, 2014, the latest data available, the US dollar was still dominating Russia’s forex basket at 44 percent. The second most-used foreign currency was the euro with 42 percent. The British pound made up 9.5 percent.

Russian Central Bank voids Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch ratings

What happens when a nation in retaliation refuses to recognize a universally accepted standard ratings agency? Stay tuned. Pandora’s box has been opened on yet another front. Full-blown economic warfare is in full motion.

 

The Central Bank of Russia will no longer use credit ratings from Standard & Poor’s, Fitch, or Moody’s that were assigned after March 1, 2014.

All credit ratings given to Russian companies and banks will now be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Bank, according to a press statement Monday. The regulator will assess whether or not the ratings made after March are accurate.

“According to the Bank of Russia Board of Directors’ decision, the rating date for credit institutions and their issued financial instruments, including securities, to implement Bank of Russia regulations, shall be 1 March 2014; as for other entities, listed in the ordinance, and their issued securities, this rating date shall be 1 December 2014,” the press release said.

“De-Dollarization” Deepens: Russia Buys Most Gold In Six Months, Continues Selling US Treasuries

The rumors of Russia selling its gold reserves, it is now clear, were greatly exaggerated as not only did Putin not sell, Russian gold reserves rose by their largest amount in six months in December to just over $46 billion (near the highest since April 2013). It appears all the “Russia is selling” chatter did was lower prices enabling them to gather non-fiat physical assets at a lower cost. On the other hand, there is another trend that continues for the Russians – that of reducing their exposure to US Treasury debt. For the 20th month in a row, Russia’s holdings of US Treasury debt fell year-over-year – selling into the strength.

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Russia’s Central Bank ready to make foreign currency interventions to keep up ruble

The CBR also says that the current ruble devaluation creates risks for financial stability

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) said it was ready to make foreign currency interventions without limits in amounts, as the current ruble rate has deviated considerably from fundamentally reasonable values.

Russia could ditch US dollar in 2-3 years – head of Russia’s #2 bank

Two to three years would be enough time for Russia to switch to international settlements to the ruble, Andrey Kostin, head of Russia’s second-biggest bank VTB, said.

“Two to three years is enough, not only to launch [settlements in rubles], but also to complete these mechanisms. But much will depend on how banks will cope with the task,” Kostin said in an interview with Izvestia newspaper.

Russia Strikes Back Against the West, Purchases 900,000 Ounces of Gold

President Putin admitted that the economic sanctions Western officials have imposed on Russia are taking a toll on Russian businesses. This has been most notable in the Russian stock market as money continues to be pulled from the system.

President Putin has also made the point that any economic sanctions imposed on Russia would have a boomerang effect, which will do more harm than good to those imposing the sanctions. This is a point that I have alluded to in multiple articles recently and wholeheartedly agree with.

The reality is that Europe is heavily dependent on Russia for its energy needs. Specifically, Europe is dependent on Russia’s natural gas. Therefore, Russia and China’s announcement last week on a massive $400 billion natural gas deal came as shock to many, essentially redirecting roughly 20 percent of Europe’s natural gas supply to China.