KIEV: Ukrainian banks with foreign capital have said that they strictly observe the ban imposed by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on servicing of persons with IDs issued in occupied areas in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (ORDLO). “Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) is operating fully in line with Ukrainian legislation and requirements of the regulator,” the press service of the bank told Interfax-Ukraine. The press service said that the as a bank incorporated into ABHH international holding headquartered in Luxembourg Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) cannot comment on operations of banks of the group in other countries. “UkrSibbank as part of BNP Paribas international financial group is scrupulous about all requirements of Ukrainian and international standards of financial security and observation of global sanction practices,” the bank’s press service said.
The bank does not comment political assumptions on the issue. Earlier subsidiary bank of Sberbank of Russia in Ukraine – public joint-stock company Sberbank – also denied the fact that the bank allegedly servicing individuals and companies using IDs issued in the Ukrainian territories not controlled by the central government. “As a Ukrainian commercial bank carrying out its activity on the basis of a NBU license, PJSC Sberbank strictly complies with Ukrainian laws. The bank neither did, nor does, or intends to service individuals and legal entities on the basis of documents issued in territories not controlled by the Ukrainian government, and does not conduct financial operations in those territories.
The bank only services its clients on the basis of documents identifying them in accordance with requirements of the Ukrainian laws,” the bank said. As reported, on February 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree ‘on recognition in the Russian Federation the documents and car registration plates issued to Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in the territories of the separate areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. A total of 25 banks incorporated in foreign bank groups operate in Ukraine now, including 18 banks incorporated in the group that also provide retail banking services in Russia. The NBU on March 7, 2017 said that the central bank will initiate imposing sanctions on Sberbank, if information that the parent bank is ready to service persons with ID documents issued by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) is confirmed.
