The National Bank of Georgia commented on the introduction of UK sanctions against the Russian WB Bank, which is part of the Wildberries ecosystem. This refers to the expansion of the sanctions list, which also included a number of other financial organizations.
The regulator stated that the assessment of the risk of possible circumvention of sanctions falls within the competence of the financial institutions themselves. Banks are obliged to independently analyze the ownership structure and control over companies, as well as determine the applicability of international restrictions in each specific case.
The National Bank of Georgia emphasized that it will continue to supervise the financial sector's compliance with sanction requirements, but the primary responsibility for compliance with the regimes remains with the organizations themselves.
WB Bank, in turn, stated that the restrictions will not affect customer and partner service, as the bank's activities are focused on the domestic Russian market and it continues to operate as usual.