On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the “efficiency and functionality” of the Bank of Russia’s central bank digital currency (“CBDC”) and instructed his government to prepare for the widespread introduction of the digital ruble. On Friday, Edward Slavsquat published an article about Russia’s insatiable appetite for “sustainable development.” In it, he described how the environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) agenda has become an “integral part” of Russia’s business environment, that Moscow is actively involved in promoting the ESG agenda and achieving the United Nations (“UN”) Agenda 2030’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”), and that the UN maintains partnerships with sanctioned Russian companies to pursue the SDGs.