Potanin called unexpected sanctions against the Central Bank and the NWF

The HEAD of Norilsk Nickel, Vladimir Potanin, said in an interview with RBC that many of the Western sanctions, including against the reserves of the Central Bank and the National Wealth Fund, came as a surprise to him.

“Personally, for me, for example, it was a surprise that ours, as our president calls them “Western partners”, will still decide to lay hands on the foreign exchange reserves of the Central Bank and the National Welfare Fund. This is such an engaged move on their part. It seems that we did not consider it as obvious, ”he said.

In addition, according to Potanin, "few people" considered that there would be such a massive exodus of foreign companies from the Russian market. “Moreover, many of them do this not because of the sanctions, but, so to speak, on a voluntary basis. <...> I think that no one expected such a mass exodus of companies, and therefore it is necessary to react to this more spontaneously, ”said the businessman.