People walk past the logo of Russian payment system Mir at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 15, 2022.
REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Steps that Turkish lenders Isbank and Denizbank took to suspend the use of Russian payment system Mir make a lot of sense, a senior U.S. administration official said on Tuesday, and said the United States expects more banks will cut off Mir over sanctions risk.
"We expect more banks to cut off Mir because they don’t want to risk being on the wrong side of the coalition’s sanctions."
Washington and its allies have imposed several rafts of sanctions targeting Moscow following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, including targeting Russian banks and President Vladimir Putin.
NATO member Turkey opposes Western sanctions on Russia on principle and has close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, its Black Sea neighbors.