Is the unthinkable happening? The Russian ruble is outperforming the US dollar in November this month despite facing economic sanctions from the White House. The BRICS nation’s local currency, the Russian ruble, is defying expectations, prompting many to ask how. The Russian ruble is outperforming the US greenback in November this month regardless of dealing with financial sanctions from the White House. The BRICS nation’s native foreign currency, the Russian, is showing unexpected strength. But what's behind this surprising trend?
One key factor is Russia's proactive strategy to sidestep the impact of sanctions. In a bold move meant to bolster the national economy and sidestep US sanctions, Russia, a BRICS member, has been accepting the Russian Ruble, its local currency, for energy payments. This strategic shift increases demand for the ruble and reduces reliance on the US dollar.
Moreover, the BRICS nations are actively exploring alternatives to the dollar in international trade. The BRICS Cross-Border Payment Initiative (BCBPI) will use national currencies, instead of the US dollar. Russia’s finance ministry and central bank released a statement highlighting this initiative, indicating a clear move towards de-dollarization within the BRICS economic bloc.
While a common BRICS currency is a topic of discussion, Expressing caution, Russian President Vladimir Putin himself said that a common BRICS currency was a “long-term prospect” and that “it is not under consideration” currently. However, the increased use of national currencies within the BRICS trade network is undoubtedly contributing to the ruble's relative strength.
The answer is that the BRICS country, led by Vladimir Putin, has deployed tactics to cleverly circumvent the sanctions. Indeed, to make the Russian ruble a contender to remain strong, despite international pressure, Russia has implemented strict capital controls, forcing exporters to convert a significant portion of their foreign earnings into rubles. This artificially inflates the ruble's value.
In conclusion, while the long-term sustainability of the ruble's outperformance remains to be seen, the combination of strategic energy policies, BRICS initiatives, and capital controls has created a situation where the Russian ruble is outperforming the US dollar, at least for now, despite the ongoing sanctions.