According to inside sources, Austria wants Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) removed from the Ukrainian list of “international war sponsors”. The federal government is making this a condition of agreeing to new EU sanctions against Russia, two people familiar with the situation told Portal news agency on Thursday.
Exposing companies
Ukrainians want to use the list to expose companies that continue to do business in Russia after the Russian invasion and promote war, for example, by paying taxes in the country. Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is the largest Western bank still represented in Russia – and the only Austrian one on the list.
➤ See more information: Raiffeisen wants to divest from its Russian business
RBI is having difficulty withdrawing from Russia
“We think it’s unfair that we are on the list,” said a bank spokesperson. The RBI is struggling with Russia's announced withdrawal. CEO Johann Strobl recently stated that a spin-off at the turn of the year would probably not work. The bank must first exhaust sales possibilities – this may be the easiest way.
Federal Chancellery: Documents presented
A spokesperson for the Federal Chancellery said legal documents on the EU sanctions were presented on Tuesday. He declined to comment further.
According to one source, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg openly criticized the list compiled by the Ukrainian anti-corruption authority as “arbitrary” at a ministerial meeting in Kiev. The government has also expressed its concerns in discussions with EU representatives and diplomats in recent weeks. RBI representatives met with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities. More recently, the Hungarian Bank OTP, among others, was removed from the list.