MOSCOW, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday there was no point in discussing media speculation that Western governments were no longer considering cutting Russia off from the SWIFT global payments system, preferring to focus instead on their official actions.
A source-based report on Monday by German business newspaper Handelsblatt, which said economic sanctions targeting major Russian banks were being considered as an alternative to removing access to SWIFT, temporarily boosted the rouble before the currency continued its downward trajectory.
The West has threatened Russia with heavy economic costs if it invades Ukraine, which it denies planning to do. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Moscow would focus its attention on official bodies in the countries that have a "predilection" for sanctions. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
