Moscow _ Agencies
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia´s adherence to the US currency, which is essential to international trade, is a necessity for the Russian economy, which has been targeted for years by US sanctions.
"We have no goal of moving away from the dollar," Putin said at a forum on investment in Moscow. The dollar is moving away from us. Those who make these decisions, do not shoot on their feet, but slightly higher, "he raised the laughter of the attendees.
"We have to do that," Putin said more seriously, as stated in televised remarks. I assure you that we will do. "
The Russian authorities have long been raising, without achieving a significant result, the arduous project of reducing the "dollarization" of the country´s economy by increasing the use of other hard currencies in national transactions. More than ever, this seems necessary, as the country fears the announcement of new U.S. punitive measures.
"This instability (...) Raises the desire of many of the world´s economies to find difficult currencies for alternative reserves and to establish payment systems, independent of the dollar," the Russian president said.
While Russia has finally lowered the size of its US debts, Putin also said, "Look how much the country´s drainage reserves are diminishing, including the American allies. Dollar assets go down ".
Putin, for example, recently purchased the S-400 Russian anti-aircraft systems, without using the dollar. India, the other large customer of the I-400 systems, paid the price of its roubles in rubles, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisoswe finally announced.
