The United States is tightening controls on financial activity tied to major Russian market platforms, allowing limited transactions related to the Moscow Stock Exchange, the National Clearing House, and the National Clearing Depository through a specified date. This stance appears in a formal document from the U.S. Treasury Department and has been reported by TASS, the Russian news agency. The arrangement marks a temporary window in which certain operations can continue under careful oversight as sanctions policies evolve over time.
Signals point to a gradual timetable for removing Moscow Stock Exchange securities from the U.S. market under the same sanctions framework. In practical terms, players involved in cross border finance are weighing how to transition holdings and settlements while keeping trading and clearing activities as smooth as possible during the changeover.
Earlier Treasury communications highlighted sanctions targeting the Moscow Stock Exchange and the National Clearing House, underscoring the NCC’s role as a mediator in foreign exchange settlements connected to the exchange. The NCC is described as part of the broader Moscow Exchange and the National Settlement Depository group, illustrating how tightly connected financial infrastructure can be affected by policy movements abroad.
In another development, Mikhail Delyagin, Deputy Chairman of the Economic Policy Committee in the State Duma, commented on the potential shift to a new operating format for Moscow Exchange transactions conducted in U.S. dollars. The remark reflects ongoing discussions about adapting market practices in response to sanctions and the implications for currency handling within Russian trading venues.
Subsequent statements indicated that trading in U.S. dollars and euros on the Moscow Stock Exchange would end due to the sanctions context as of a specific date. The exchange stated that all instruments would be settled in other currencies or through foreign exchange and precious metals markets, with the sole exception of currency pairs that include the U.S. dollar and the euro. This reflects a broader realignment of liquidity and pricing mechanisms in the Russian financial ecosystem under external restraints.
Earlier debates in the State Duma explored potential benefits or consequences of the new sanctions for Russia’s financial landscape. The discussions reveal a wider strategic recalibration among policymakers as they assess the impact of external measures on domestic markets and on the international reach of Moscow’s trading venues.