Moody's saw the risk of restricting Russia's access to Visa and MasterCard

Moody's, which on June 4 confirmed Russia's long-term sovereign rating at Baa3 with a stable outlook, saw the risks of restricting the country's access to international payment systems. This is stated in the message of the international agency.

As one of the factors that influenced the rating, Moody's experts named Russia's resistance to political risks, the main of which are sanctions. Because of them, according to the agency, Russia is losing access to modern technologies and economic modernization.

"While Moody's considers such moves unlikely, the possibility of new restrictions on Russia's access to international payment systems increases the uncertainty around sanctions, influencing economic and political decisions," the release says.

The agency reports that in the future, new sanctions may lead to limited access to international payment systems. This will create barriers to international trade and the banking sector. This factor, as noted by Moody's, may lead to a downgrade of Russia's long-term rating.