Haha, guys, your message is clear!

I hate Visa and Mastercard too, but unfortunately I can't live a normal life without using them.

YES! Russia should build its own payment system and also market it outside Russia's borders - ex Soviet area and then EU. People would try it, no doubt!

Seriously, I know many people with considerably less radical political views than me who HATE Visa / Mastercard and would use almost anything else.

I am a huge bitcoin fan, partly for that reason.

It's outrageous to use it for sanctions - shows it's just a tool in the hands of the USA.

I have a comment to the Russsians here:

Norway has a lot of oil and gas too. They have a sort of vague notion of solidarity / idealistic ideas, and a strong state (sort of like 1/3 of what the Soviet Union was).

Most of the oil and gas money goes to the state, essentially they have no "oligarchs". The people benefit from the oil/gas.

The state there is not corrupt and uses the oil money to achieve good things. They make long term investments in the future of the country with this money, and they know the oil will eventually dry up.

If they were in the situation that Russia is in now, i.e. economic sanctions, they would take oil and gas money and create their own Mastercard! No doubt about it.

Of course, Norway is too small a country. They could never achieve anything on their own. But Russia can!

I really hope this serves as a catalyst for a Mastercard / Visa alternative that doesn't discriminate and isn't used as a political tool. Do it Russians, please!

And good on Putin that he's switching banks for his salary, to Rossiya Bank.

And what's with the expression "Western partners"? It sounds more silly every day. Anyone who treats you like that is not a "partner". I smell some PR strategy or whatever it could be behind this phony expression.