Ukraine: Draghi promises Zelensky to support sanctions, including Swift

Europe 1 with AFP 3:18 p.m., February 26, 2022

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky his full support for European Union sanctions, "including those concerning (the exclusion of Russia from the interbank system) Swift", the Italian government announced on Saturday.

"Mario Draghi reaffirmed to President Zelensky that Italy supports and will fully support the line of the European Union on sanctions against Russia, including those concerning Swift," the Italian government said in a statement issued after of a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

The EU is currently examining this measure in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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- How the Americans are threatening Russia by using SWIFT as a lethal weapon

The United States for the moment opposed to an exclusion of Russia

Many voices have been raised to exclude Russia from this essential cog in global finance, in order to put pressure on Russia by hitting it in the portfolio.

It is "an option" according to Joe Biden, but which the American president has so far refused to take, stressing that certain European countries are opposed to it for the moment.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who met Joe Biden earlier this week, said he underlined Friday with his counterpart Antony Blinken "the need to use all the influence of the United States on certain hesitant European countries in order to exclude Russia from Swift".

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- War in Ukraine: France in favor of excluding Russia from Swift

Zelensky asks for "courage" from Germany and Poland

The Ukrainian president for his part called on Germany and Hungary on Saturday to have the "courage" to approve the exclusion of Russia from Swift.

“Almost all EU countries are already for the exclusion of Russia from Swift,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address.

"I hope that Germany and Hungary will find the courage to support this decision," he said.

But the Hungarian government firmly denied on Saturday that it opposed Russia's exclusion from the Swift system, its Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto even speaking of "fake news" on his Facebook account.

"We have never come out against a proposed sanction, we have not blocked anything," he said.

Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs went on to say that "Hungary aligns itself 100% with the joint EU effort".

Still, Budapest has not expressed explicit support for such a sanction.

Mario Draghi also expressed on Saturday to Volodymyr Zelensly "and to the Ukrainian people Italy's solidarity in the face of the attack by the Russian Federation", adding that "Italy will provide Ukraine with help to defend itself". .