MOSCOW: Russian lender Binbank said yesterday it could buy the Moscow subsidiary of Ukraine’s Privatbank in two weeks from its Ukrainian owners who say they were under political pressure to sell.
Russia’s central bank put Moskomprivatbank under temporary administration last month to prevent its bankruptcy, but some analysts said it was aimed at punishing Ukraine’s new rulers for pursuing closer ties to the West. Moscow denies the charge.
Privatbank, Ukraine’s largest bank, said its subsidiary had faced unwarranted political pressure, suggesting it was a victim of the standoff between Moscow and Kiev which resulted in Russia annexing Crimea.
Privatbank is part of Privat group, co-owned by Igor Kolomoisky, called “a unique imposter” by President Vladimir Putin last month when the businessman was appointed governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.
Binbank’s co-owner, Mikail Shishkanov, said the Ukrainian side would be happy with the deal.
“It is an absolutely friendly, normal business deal ... in any case the Ukrainian partners will be satisfied,” he told journalists, adding the deal should be closed in two weeks.
Privatbank said in a statement the Russian authorities had made it difficult to operate. “Despite the unprecedented political pressure on Moskomprivatbank from the Russian authorities, effectively blocking bank checks and the unreasonable imposition of temporary administration, the bank continued to work and fulfilled all its obligations to customers,” it said.
Reuters
