Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs hopes that agreement will be reached within the EU in the coming days on closing Russia’s international payment system Swift. European leaders have recently agreed on new sanctions against Russia. Many would have liked to see that the Russians were no longer allowed to use Swift. Payment and transfer would then become a lot more difficult, but a number of European leaders were not in favor of increasing the package, partly because of the possible consequences for their own economy.
Today it became clear that more and more EU countries abandon their objections to shutdown.
The Dutch cabinet was already in favor of uncoupling Russia from Swift, but always emphasized that unity within the EU is of great importance. Hoekstra repeated that today: “Yesterday’s package is already very heavy and without precedent. But the Netherlands would like to add an extra step, about Swift.”
He added that the countries are in close contact about it and that more and more of them seem willing to agree to this new step.
–
