Ukrainian banks can continue to operate in Crimea until January 1 2015 without re-registering as long as they meet their commitments to customers, Central Bank of Russia Deputy Chairman Mikhail Sukhov said at a press conference in Simferopol April 21. The decision to close four Ukrainian banks in Crimea was due to complaints from depositors that the banks were failing to meet their commitments to them, he said.
“Of course it is better for the bank to continue working, but if they are not paying, we will close them down,” Sukhov said.
The Central Bank of Russia has already received the first requests from Ukrainian banks to continue working in Crimea, he said. Sukhov did not specify which banks these requests had come from, or how many there had been.
