Russian banking institutions are to be excluded from SWIFT, an international transfer system used for making bank payments, Germany and its Western allies have decided, according to government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit. “We commit to ensuring that a certain number of Russian banksare removed from SWIFT,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally.” “All of these measures will significantly harm Putin’s ability to finance his war and they will hav…