Russia Gold Rush Sees Record Reserves For Putin Era

Russia Gold Rush Sees Record Reserves For Putin Era

by Yuliya Fedorinova of Bloomberg via Irish Indepedent

Vladimir Putin is doing his part to keep the upswing in gold alive.

Since the Russian president went on a geopolitical offensive in Ukraine in 2014, the haven asset had its first annual gain in four years in 2016 and is on track for another in 2017.

Click to enlarge. Russia added another 500,000 ounces of gold to it’s reserves in August. Source: Goldchartsrus.com

A beneficiary of economic and political perils from North Korea to Brexit, it’s among the top-performing commodities this year.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Russia has more than doubled the pace of gold purchases, bringing the share of bullion in its international reserves to the highest of Mr Putin’s 17 years in power, according to World Gold Council data.

In the second quarter alone, it accounted for 38pc of all gold purchased by central banks.

The gold rush is allowing the Bank of Russia to continue growing its reserves while abstaining from purchases of foreign currency for more than two years.

But what may matter most is that gold is as geopolitics-proof an investment as any in the age of sanctions and a deepening rift with the US.