Putin Signs Decree for Settling Russian Agricultural Exports in Rubles

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree today that allows buyers of Russian agricultural exports to pay in rubles instead of dollars, a move Moscow describes as a way to alleviate the pressure of sanctions on countries that remain "friendly." Russia has long called for its state agricultural bank to be reconnected to the international payment network SWIFT, from which it was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine last year. Putin emphasized the need to shift trade to national currencies in a speech he delivered at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July.