The Russian army is defeated and the Russian economy is destroyed. Thus, Russia can only plow ahead with the alternative economy, opening a beachhead bank in Iran.

Russia’s second-largest bank, VTB, has opened a branch in Iran, the country’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) announced on Twitter on Tuesday.

VTB is the first ever Russian bank to offer services in the Islamic Republic, according to TPO head Alireza Peyman-Pak.

The majority state-owned bank will promote “trade transparency” and play a role in transferring part of its foreign exchange earnings to the banking network, Peyman-Pak added in his tweet.

This bank will help build the RUS-Iran trade corridor, part of the greater Eurasian BRI network. The tell-tale sign of a true shift in global economic supremacy will come when Westerners start to open or try to open accounts in Tehran. I would say “enjoy your freedom fries”, but by the bloated looks of things, Vicky Nuland may have eaten all of them.