Readers of the British edition of The Telegraph accused the American leadership of stupidity because of the threats to disconnect Russia from the international payment system SWIFT. Subscribers shared this opinion on Twitter.
Users commented on the Telegraph publication that US President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about the possible introduction of a “nuclear option” of sanctions against Moscow. At the talks that took place the day before, on December 7, in a closed online conference, the American leader said that in the event of “Russian aggression” against Ukraine, Moscow could be completely isolated from the global payment system.
“Nuclear is always a meaningful word that can be threatened by someone in international politics. I expected this kind of nonsense from the administration of [former US President Donald] Trump, not from the current one, ”wrote user Andrew Plummer.
Other subscribers to the publication pointed out that “nuclear” sanctions would not frighten Russia, and also noted that there is no need to quarrel with the country that supplies the fuel. “Good luck to you in winter, Europe,” the user Abraxas said sarcastically, referring to the gas crisis.
US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland also spoke about the possible disconnection of Russia from SWIFT. She clarified that Washington discussed with its allies this version of the consequences of the “Russian invasion of Ukraine.” The de facto isolation will have implications for Russian business and Russians themselves, as well as their opportunities for work, travel and trade, the diplomat said.
The meeting between Putin and Biden in the format of a videoconference took place on December 7 and lasted two hours. The first footage of the politicians' communication was shown to the journalists, but then the meeting was held in a closed format. The presidents' current contact is the fifth since Biden took office.
