Against the background of increasing sanctions pressure from the United States, Russia began to steadily abandon the dollar. The share of the dollar in Russia’s export settlements in the fourth quarter of last year fell below 50 for the first time and amounted to 48.3 percent, while a year earlier the figure exceeded 61 percent.

The current situation is largely due to the increase in trade between Russia and China: by the end of the fourth quarter, more than 80 percent of it is conducted in euros. In recent months the Russian authorities have been trying to isolate the economy from American intervention against the background of the growing threat of anti-Russian sanctions, the agency concludes.

On April 15, Washington imposed new sanctions against Russia. Part of the restrictions affected the Russian national debt. From June 14, American companies will be prohibited from directly purchasing Russian debt securities issued by the Central Bank, the National Wealth Fund or the Ministry of Finance. However, they will still be able to buy and sell Russian government bonds on the secondary market. American investors and experts called such sanctions too gentle.