The U.S. Treasury moved to block U.S. investors from making purchases of Russian debt in secondary markets, an apparent expansion from existing policy that only prohibited purchases of newly issued Russian government debt and some Russian corporate debts, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. In new guidance, the Treasury Department said U.S. persons remain prohibited from new investment in Russia, which now includes “purchasing both new and existing debt and equity securities issued by an entity in the Russian Federation.” Investors would still be allowed to sell or transfer securities as long as they do so to a non-U. S. counterparty, according to the Treasury, and they can also continue to hold the already issued debt. “Consistent with our goal to deny Russia the financial resources it needs to continue its brutal war against Ukraine, Treasury has made clear that U.S. persons are prohibited from making new investments in the success of Russia, including through purchases on the secondary market,” a Treasury spokesperson said. Secondary purchases of Russian corporate debt in the U.S. and Europe have already been limited because of sanctions against financial institutions like Sberbank and VTB Bank and the perceived reputational cost of backing entities based in the country. Still, some opportunistic buyers have bought Russian companies’ debt at a discount, betting that the bonds will recover if the war between Russia and Ukraine comes to an end.
