The dollar during today’s trading for the first time since the beginning of April 2021 has risen in price above 78 rubles, follows from the data of the Moscow Exchange.
At the opening of trading on January 24, the currency cost 77.44 rubles, and at the peak at 12.09 Moscow time – 78.24 rubles. Thus, at the beginning of the day the dollar strengthened against the ruble by more than 1%.
The euro also rises in price at the auction. Today, for the first time since January 14, it exceeded 88 rubles. At the opening, the currency cost 87.8 rubles, and by 12.23 Moscow time – 88.69 rubles. This is the highest value since the beginning of July 2021.
Analysts polled by Reuters cited the ongoing “confrontation” between Moscow and Washington with NATO over Ukraine as the main reason for the weakening of the ruble. So, on January 21, Bloomberg reported that the United States is considering the possibility of evacuating the families of diplomats from the republic due to the pulling of Russian troops to the border of the country. After that, the Russian currency accelerated the fall. Today, the US State Department confirmed this, saying that the families of diplomats in Kiev must leave Ukraine, some of the employees may leave voluntarily. Later, the UK also announced the evacuation of employees of its embassy in Ukraine, about half of the diplomats could leave the country, the BBC noted.
Materials about Russia’s alleged plans to invade Ukraine appeared in the Western media last fall. Bloomberg, citing American intelligence data, claimed that about 100,000 Russian soldiers could invade the territory of the republic from three directions at once. In addition, the media still publish reports of the accumulation of Russian military on the border with Ukraine. At the same time, the Kremlin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly denied information that Russia has such plans. They noted that the country moves troops at its own discretion within its territory and is not going to attack anyone.