The Ukrainian subsidiaries of Sberbank of Russia and VTB Bank (Kyiv) have denied their involvement in the illegal actions in Ukraine.
“VTB Bank (Ukraine) acts in line with Ukrainian law and the licenses
of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and carries out only commercial
activities. Any attempts to accuse the bank in the participation in the
political life in Ukraine are absolutely groundless,” reads a statement
of the press service.
Recently the Security Service of Ukraine stated that assets of one of
the Russian banks were used to finance terrorist groups in the eastern
part of Ukraine. Criminal proceedings against officials of the financial
institution were started.
Subsidiary Bank Sberbank of Russia also said that the bank is not linked to illegal actions.
“Sberbank of Russia is a Ukrainian commercial bank that operates
strictly under Ukrainian law. The bank does not have any relation to the
situation,” the bank’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
On April 16, the press service of Alfa-Bank (Ukraine), which is part
of the Alfa-Group international consortium with large assets in Russia,
also spread its statement.
“Information presented by the mass media on the anti-Ukrainian
operation of Alfa-Bank, relations with the Federal Security Service
(FSB) and a allegation that Alfa-Bank is transferring whole enterprises
to Crimea are absurd, untrue and they are part of a black PR campaign,”
reads the statement of the bank’s press service.
According to the report, Alfa-Bank has always kept out of politics.
“Alfa-Bank was always apart from politics, and it’s a pity that we’ve
got into the center of fight… between several political forces for the
post of the head of the national commission for financial service
markets regulation. Andriy Volkov, appointed head of the commission, is a
former employee of Alfa-Bank who, as many our employees, is building
his career himself and he does not have any business relations with the
bank,” reads the statement.
According to the report, Alfa-Bank is operating strictly under Ukrainian law.
“There are no claims against the operation of Alfa-Bank (Ukraine)
from the NBU, law-enforcement agencies and SBU. We, as the whole
financial sector of Ukraine, are waiting for the results of the SBU’s
investigation into the involvement of a Russian bank to financing of
separatists,” reads the statement.
Alfa-Bank also denied information appeared in the mass media that a
draft resolution on the creation of a temporary commission to
investigate into the operation of the bank was registered in the
Ukrainian parliament.
The press service of Prominvestbank (Kyiv), the largest shareholder
of which is Vnesheconombank (Russia), also said that the bank is far
away from the politics.
“Prominvestbank was and remains a Ukrainian bank… For over twenty
years the bank deliberately distances itself from the big politics
focusing on banking business and developing the Ukrainian economy. Any
assumptions that Prominvestbank participates in the political processes
are groundless and untrue,” the press service said.
