Standard & Poors, Moody's & Fitch reduce economic rating for RU from 'stable' to 'negative'
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-bank-customers-barred-visa-062807753.html
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/0...stocks-bank-cards-credit-rankings-101381.html
"President Putin on Friday ordered the country's central bank to help clients of Rossiya. He denied having an account there but ordered the Central Bank to "take the bank's clients under protection and provide all possible assistance to them."
Describing Rossiya, which was rumored to serve nearly everyone in Putin's close entourage, as "just an average bank," Putin said he had never had an account there, but promised to open one "first thing on Monday" and asked his salary to be transferred there." :lol:
As I'd suggested previously:
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2014/03/21/what-u-s-sanctions-against-russia-will-really-do/
"Sanctions don't inflict pain overnight. A sanctioned country, and especially one with significant financial reserves like Russia, can deflect economic coercion for a time. The UN Security Council imposed its first sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program in 2006.
Seven years passed before Tehran began to bargain seriously. It will still take months if not years for Moscow to feel the consequences of its actions.
Further complicating matters is the fact that Moscow is likely willing to pay a significant price for righting what it insists is a historical wrong.
So even if President Obama masters all four of these tasks he will not satisfy critics looking for quick results on Crimea. But over time sanctions could exact a significant economic toll on Russia, just as they have on Iran.
And once imposed, Russia will discover it is stuck with them. It will be politically difficult for Washington and its allies to roll them back - even if they want to."