Russia: The list of "enemy countries" will pay the dues of its companies in rubles

The Russian government announced Monday that the authorities have drawn up a list of "enemy" countries to which Russian companies and individuals will be able to pay their dues in rubles, which have lost 45% of its value since January. Russian President Vladimir Putin has alluded to the list of countries hostile to his country, in light of the extensive sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia, in the wake of the attack on Ukraine. The list, prepared by a presidential decree issued on Friday, includes the countries of the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom, Monaco, South Korea, the United States, Switzerland, Japan and others. Today, Monday, the Russian ruble hit its lowest level in its history against the dollar, despite the strict measures imposed by Russia in an attempt to avoid the collapse of its currency due to the sanctions imposed by the West after its invasion of Ukraine. According to the available data, the price of the Russian currency reached 106.5 rubles to the dollar on Monday, which represents a decline of more than 1.4% compared to last Friday's close. The ruble ended last week's trading with a 20% decline against the dollar and the euro in Moscow, while it lost more than a third of its value in transactions outside Russia. The ruble ended last week's trading at 105 rubles per dollar, compared to 83 rubles per dollar in trading on Friday, March 25. Russia has charged a 30% commission on foreign currency purchases by individuals on currency trading platforms, brokers said.