In March this year, the total value of investments by the Russian Federation in United States government securities experienced a modest uptick, reaching 77 million dollars. This assessment references official documents published by the United States Department of the Treasury. [Source: US Treasury]
Looking back, the cumulative holdings in US government bonds by Russia stood at 75 million dollars in February 2023, 629 million dollars in December 2022, and 2,034 billion dollars in October of a prior year. These figures illustrate the volatility and the shifting patterns of Russia’s custody of US debt instruments over time. [Source: US Treasury]
As of March this year, the split between long term and short term holdings shows the Russian Federation directing 9 million dollars into various maturities within the debt portfolio. The composition of these positions reflects strategic choices about duration and risk, as well as the broader state of bilateral financial relations. [Source: US Treasury]
Since spring 2018, Russia has undertaken a significant reduction of its involvement in funding the United States national debt. The pace of reduction is evident in the decline from approximately 96 billion dollars to 48.7 billion dollars by April 2018, and further down to about 14.9 billion dollars in May of the same year. The trend underscores a broader recalibration of cross-border holdings and risk exposure by major investors. [Source: US Treasury]
On the current landscape, the largest holders of US government bonds among international investors are Japan with around 1.09 trillion dollars, China with about 869.3 billion dollars, and the United Kingdom with roughly 714 billion dollars. These numbers highlight the concentration of global demand for US Treasury securities and the role of major economies in shaping the debt market. [Source: US Treasury]
In a separate development, former US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen indicated in a formal letter to congressional leaders that a default would be possible on June 1 if fiscal measures were not enacted, signaling the political and financial sensitivities surrounding debt management. The messaging underscores how confidence in debt management can affect markets and policy discussions in North America and beyond. [Source: US Treasury]