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By John O’Donnell, Francesco Canepa and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich
FRANKFURT/VIENNA (Reuters) -The United States’ sanctions authority has launched in inquiry into Raiffeisen Bank International over its business related to Russia, increasing scrutiny of the Austrian lender that plays a critical role in the Russian economy.
Responding to questions from Reuters, the bank said it had received a request from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in January to “clarify payments business and related processes maintained by RBI in light of the recent developments related to Russia and Ukraine.”
OFAC had asked Raiffeisen for details of its exposure in Russia, the partially occupied Donbas, Ukraine and Syria, including about the transactions and activity of certain clients, a source told Reuters.
The U.S. agency had requested a reply by February, said that person, adding that Raiffeisen’s lawyers negotiated an extension, pledging to answer the questions in three tranches of information to be sent to in early April, May and June.
A spokesperson for U.S. Treasury Department declined to comment.
Raiffeisen told Reuters in a statement that it was cooperating fully with OFAC and that it understood the request was not triggered by a specific transaction or business. It said it had processes in place to ensure compliance with sanctions.
A spokesperson said it was “confident that the information provided to OFAC will satisfy their request”, adding that the questions posed were of a ‘general nature’.
Raiffeisen has not been sanctioned in the past, but the January information request is worrying European financial regulators responsible for oversight of the bank because of the potential that it could ultimately lead to penalties against Raiffeisen, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Raiffeisen is deeply embedded in the Russian financial system and is one of the only two foreign banks on the Russian central bank’s list of 13 “systemically important credit institutions”, underscoring its importance to Russia’s economy, which is grappling with sweeping Western sanctions.
As Austria’s second-biggest lender, it also underpins much of that nation’s economy as well as having extensive operations in eastern Europe. An Austrian official said that Austrian authorities were monitoring the situation at Raiffeisen and its business in Russia closely because of the bank’s importance.
Almost a year since Moscow launched what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Raiffeisen is among a handful of European banks that remain in Russia.
But it has faced criticism, including from investors over its decision to keeping doing business with Moscow. The bank has previously defended its position, saying its exposure to Russia is contained.
Raiffeisen made a net profit of roughly 3.8 billion euros last year, thanks in large part to a 2 billion euro plus profit from its Russia business. Meanwhile, Russian savers have lodged more than 20 billion euros with the bank.
U.s. clout
The U.S. Treasury imposes sanctions and can penalise those who break them. Its most aggressive sanctioning tool freezes U.S. assets and excludes banks from accessing U.S. dollars – critical for international trade and finance.
The toughest sanctioning tool in OFAC’s arsenal, known as the SDN list, freezes assets held in the United States and bars American companies or citizens from trading with those listed, freezing a bank or individual out of all dollar payments.
This grants the United States influence far beyond its shores to enforce its sanctions. Alternatively, OFAC can also resort to less stringent measures such as levying fines and sending warning letters over sanctions violations.
Two former U.S. officials, asking not to be named, said, however, that Washington was typically reluctant to take such draconian steps.
Viktor Winkler, a German sanctions lawyer, declined to make specific remarks about Raiffeisen, but said that it was common for OFAC to request information of banks and that it did not automatically lead to penalties.
OFAC has sanctioned five major Russian banks, including state-backed Sberbank part of a response to that country’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as wealthy oligarchs.
Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States cut off Sberbank from processing payments through the U.S. financial system. Its European arm, based in Vienna, was closed shortly afterwards.
Sberbank previously said the new sanctions would not have a significant impact on their operations.
In 2018, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Latvia’s ABLV Bank, due to concerns about illicit activity connected in large part to Russia, prompting the bank to quickly unravel.
Johann Strobl, Raiffeisen’s CEO, told shareholders in March that he is examining options for the Russian business, but reaching a conclusion would take some time because the bank is not “a sausage stand” that could be closed overnight.
(Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Anna Driver)
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The United States sanctions authority has just launched an investigation into Raiffeisen Bank International AG, a prominent Austrian lender which carries out operations in Russia.
Raiffeisen is the largest lender among Austrian banks operating in Russia and is one of the top 5 banks by total assets in Russia, according to the Financial Times. The bank has been under scrutiny by U.S. authorities regarding the potential violation of sanctions placed on certain Russian citizens and entities by the U.S. government.
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is officially leading the probe, with the investigation examining Raiffeisen’s operations both prior to and after the various U.S. sanctions were put in place in 2014. OFAC is authorised to take action against companies and individuals who help facilitate sanctions evasion and other illegal activities.
Raiffeisen’s operations in Russia could be seen as a potential risk regarding US sanctions, given that it has already exited Ukraine and Uzbekistan in recent years in response to sanctions there. The bank has expressed optimism, stating that its procedures and business practices have ensured compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
In addition, the bank has said that it strives to “fully comply” with all rules, regulations and guidelines in the countries in which it operates. Further, the bank has indicated in official statements that it takes significant steps and prepares extensive documentation to ensure that all potential risks from customer transactions are identified, assessed, and managed.
Raiffeisen has remained committed to its operations in Russia despite rising tensions between the US and Russian governments and the US Treasury’s decision in April to sanction a number of Russian individuals and entities, including Sberbank, a major Russian state-owned financial institution.
This probe is directly related to the broader issues involving U.S. sanctions and those related entities. The nature of the investigation is still not fully understood at this point, but the potential implications of the probe warrant watching. It is imperative that Raiffeisen maintains strict compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, and guidance to avoid any potential risks or compliance issues.
