Share:


Assessing the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 on selected European currencies and key commodities

    Florin Aliu Affiliation
    ; Yelyzaveta Apanovych Affiliation
    ; Ujkan Bajra Affiliation
    ; Artor Nuhiu Affiliation

Abstract

This study measures the spillover effects of the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic on currency pairs as the Russian ruble, Czech koruna, Polish zloty, Hungarian forint, Swedish krona, Bulgarian lev, Danish krone, Romanian leu, Ukrainian hryvnia, and Turkish Lira. By employing the TVP-VAR model we investigate the dynamic connectedness among these currencies and key energy and agricultural commodities. The data series encompasses two consecutive non-economic shocks – the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic – and a preceding period of general stability during 2018 and 2019. The importance of geopolitical context in shaping currency dynamics was present in countries with heavy dependence on Russian gas. The findings indicate a limited direct impact of commodity price fluctuations on the value of these currencies. At the same time, geopolitical decisions primarily related to the Russian Ruble and energy dependencies significantly impacted their valuation. The study reveals the complexity of currency dynamics and the influence of geopolitical risks and global health crises on exchange rate volatility and commodity dependencies.

Keyword : Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-19, TVP-VAR, currency dynamics, energy and agricultural commodities, FX market

How to Cite
Aliu, F., Apanovych, Y., Bajra, U., & Nuhiu, A. (2024). Assessing the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 on selected European currencies and key commodities. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 25(5), 1097–1119. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2024.22518
Published in Issue
Nov 18, 2024
Abstract Views
212
PDF Downloads
116
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Akarsu, M. Z., & Gharehgozli, O. (2024). The impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on European Union currencies: A high-frequency analysis. Policy Studies, 45(3–4), 353−376. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2023.2268543

Aliu, F., Hašková, S., & Bajra, U. Q. (2022). Consequences of Russian invasion on Ukraine: Evidence from foreign exchange rates. The Journal of Risk Finance, 24(1), 40−58. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRF-05-2022-0127

Aliu, F., Kučera, J., & Hašková, S. (2023a). Agricultural commodities in the context of the Russia-Ukraine War: Evidence from corn, wheat, barley, and sunflower oil. Forecasting, 5(1), 351−373. https://doi.org/10.3390/forecast5010019

Aliu, F., Mulaj, I., & Hašková, S. (2023b). Consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war: DAX, ATX, and FTSEMIB evidence. Studies in Economics and Finance, 40(3), 549−568. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEF-12-2022-0555

Aliu, F., Kučera, J., & Horák, J. (2024). Exchange rate instabilities during the Russia-Ukraine war: Evidence from V4 countries. Heliyon, 10(3), Article e25476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25476

Al Jazeera. (2023a). OPEC+ oil alliance announces surprise production cuts from May. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/2/opec-oil-alliance-announces-surprise-production-cuts-from-may

Al Jazeera. (2023b). Russia issues list of ‘unfriendly’ countries amid Ukraine crisis. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/8/russia-deals-with-unfriendly-countries-require-moscow-approval

Antonakakis, N., Chatziantoniou, I., & Gabauer, D. (2020). Refined measures of dynamic connectedness based on time-varying parameter vector autoregressions. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(4), Article 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13040084

Bagchi, B., & Paul, B. (2023). Effects of crude oil price shocks on stock markets and currency exchange rates in the context of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Evidence from G7 countries. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(2), Article 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm16020064

Bank for International Settlements. (2022). Over the counter exchange currency parities. Available at: Retrieved January 20, 2024, from https://stats.bis.org/statx/srs/table/d11.3

Batten, J. A., Boubaker, S., Kinateder, H., Choudhury, T., & Wagner, N. F. (2023). Volatility impacts global banks: Insights from the GFC, COVID-19, and the Russia-Ukraine war. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 215, 325−350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2023.09.016

Behnassi, M., & El Haiba, M. (2022). Implications of the Russia–Ukraine war for global food security. Nature Human Behaviour, 6(6), 754−755. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01391-x

Ben Hassen, T., & El Bilali, H. (2022). Impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war on global food security: Towards more sustainable and resilient food systems? Foods, 11(15), Article 2301. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11152301

Bertaut, C., von Beschwitz, B., & Curcuru, S. (2023). The international role of the U.S. Dollar – Post-COVID Edition, FEDS Notes. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington. https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.3334

Bossman, A., Gubareva, M., & Teplova, T. (2023a). Economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk, market sentiment, and regional stocks: Asymmetric analyses of the EU sectors. Eurasian Economic Review, 13(3), 321–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40822-023-00234-y

Bossman, A., Gubareva, M., & Teplova, T. (2023b). Asymmetric effects of market uncertainties on agricultural commodities. Energy Economics, 127, Article 107080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2023.107080

Bossman, A., Gubareva, M., & Teplova, T. (2023c). EU sectoral stocks amid geopolitical risk, market sentiment, and crude oil implied volatility: An asymmetric analysis of the Russia-Ukraine tensions. Resources Policy, 82, Article 103515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103515

Bossman, A., Gubareva, M., & Teplova, T. (2023d). Asymmetric effects of geopolitical risk on major currencies: Russia-Ukraine tensions. Finance Research Letters, 51, Article 103440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.103440

Bouri, E., Gabauer, D., Gupta, R., & Kinateder, H. (2023). Geopolitical risk and inflation spillovers across European and North American economies. Department of Economics, University of Pretoria. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2023.102048

Chortane, S. G., & Pandey, D. K. (2022). Does the Russia-Ukraine war lead to currency asymmetries? A US dollar tale. The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, 26, Article e00265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeca.2022.e00265

CNN. (2022). Russia adds Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia, and Slovakia to list of “unfriendly” countries. Retrieved May 23, 2024, from https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-07-22-22/

Consumer News and Business Channel. (2023). The Russia-Ukraine war has hit many currencies hard. Here’s what analysts are expecting now. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/russia-ukraine-war-has-hit-currencies-hard-heres-what-analysts-expect-next.html

Diebold, F. X., & Yilmaz, K. (2012). Better to give than to receive: Predictive directional measurement of volatility spillovers. International Journal of Forecasting, 28(1), 57−66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijforecast.2011.02.006

Diebold, F. X., & Yılmaz, K. (2014). On the network topology of variance decompositions: Measuring the connectedness of financial firms. Journal of Econometrics, 182(1), 119−134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2014.04.012

European Central Bank. (2024). We keep prices stable and your money safe. Retrieved May 23, 2024, from https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/html/index.en.html#:~:text=We%20keep%20inflation%20under%20control,remains%20low%2C%20stable%20and%20predictable

European Commission. (2023a). Commission pays a further €1.5 billion in assistance to Ukraine. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-pays-further-eu15-billion-assistance-ukraine-2023-11-22_en

European Commission. (2023b). ERM II – the EU’s Exchange Rate Mechanism. A measure of sustainable economic convergence. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/euro/enlargement-euro-area/adoption-fixed-euro-conversion-rate/erm-ii-eus-exchange-rate-mechanism_en#a-measure-of-sustainable-economic-convergence

Hanif, W., Mensi, W., Alomari, M., & Andraz, J. M. (2023). Downside and upside risk spillovers between precious metals and currency markets: Evidence from before and during the COVID-19 crisis. Resources Policy, 81, Article 103350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103350

Hossain, A. T., Masum, A. A., & Saadi, S. (2024). The impact of geopolitical risks on foreign exchange markets: Evidence from the Russia–Ukraine war. Finance Research Letters, 59, Article 104750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104750

Humphreys, M. (2005). Natural resources, conflict, and conflict resolution: Uncovering the mechanisms. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(4), 508−537. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002705277545

International Grains Council. (2023). Grain Market Report 2022/23. Retrieved May 23, 2024, from https://www.igc.int/en/default.aspx

Khan, K., Khurshid, A., & Cifuentes-Faura, J. (2023). Investigating the relationship between geopolitical risks and economic security: Empirical evidence from central and Eastern European countries. Resources Policy, 85, Article 103872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103872

Kiesel, F., & Kolaric, S. (2023). Should I stay or should I go? Stock market reactions to companies’ decisions in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 89, Article 101862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2023.101862

Le Monde. (2023). War in Ukraine: Russia finds loopholes in Western sanctions. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/04/30/war-in-ukraine-russia-finds-loopholes-in-western-sanctions_6024869_4.html

Liadze, I., Macchiarelli, C., Mortimer‐Lee, P., & Sanchez Juanino, P. (2023). Economic costs of the Russia‐Ukraine war. The World Economy, 46(4), 874−886. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13336

Lubik, T. A., & Matthes, C. (2015). Time-varying parameter vector autoregressions: Specification, estimation, and an application. Estimation and an application. https://doi.org/10.21144/eq1010403

Martins, A. M., Correia, P., & Gouveia, R. (2023). Russia-Ukraine conflict: The effect on European banks’ stock market returns. Journal of Multinational Financial Management, 67, Article 100786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mulfin.2023.100786

Raza, S. A., Guesmi, K., Benkraiem, R., & Anwar, R. (2024). Precious metals and currency markets during the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s inflationary periods. Research in International Business and Finance, 67, Article 102138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2023.102138

Rehman, M. U., Al Rababa’a, A. R., El-Nader, G., Alkhataybeh, A., & Vo, X. V. (2022). Modelling the quantile cross-coherence between exchange rates: Does the COVID-19 pandemic change the interlinkage structure? Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 76, Article 01495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2021.101495

Reuters. (2022). Poland ends deal to receive Russian gas after ruble dispute. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/poland-ends-deal-receive-russian-gas-after-rouble-dispute-2022-05-23/

Reuters. (2023). Exclusive: India, Russia suspends negotiations to settle trade in rupees. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/india-russia-suspend-negotiations-settle-trade-rupees-sources-2023-05-04/

Shaikh, I., & Huynh, T. L. D. (2022). Does disease outbreak news impact equity, commodity and foreign exchange market? Investors’ fear of the pandemic COVID-19. Journal of Economic Studies, 49(4), 647−664. https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-10-2020-0503

Sokhanvar, A., & Lee, C. C. (2023). How do energy price hikes affect exchange rates during the war in Ukraine? Empirical Economics, 64(5), 2151−2164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-022-02320-7

Tanin, T. I., Sarker, A., & Brooks, R. (2021). Do currency exchange rates impact gold prices? New evidence from the ongoing COVID-19 period. International Review of Financial Analysis, 77, Article 101868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2021.101868

Thai Hung, N. (2023). Time-varying connectedness and causality between oil prices and G7 economies exchange rates. Evidence from the COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine crises. Studies in Economics and Finance, 40(5), 814−838. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEF-04-2023-0184

Tien, H. T., Dang, N. M. B., & Hung, N. T. (2024). An empirical analysis of the dynamic impact of DeFi on GCC foreign exchange forward markets: Portfolio implication. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 17(1), 170–194. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-06-2023-0228

Tong, E. (2024). Repercussions of the Russia–Ukraine war. International Review of Economics & Finance, 89, 366−390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2023.07.064

Trading Economics. (2023). Russia & Turkey Inflation Rates. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/interest-rate

Umar, Z., Bossman, A., Choi, S. Y., & Teplova, T. (2022). Does geopolitical risk matter for global asset returns? Evidence from quantile-on-quantile regression. Finance Research Letters, 48, Article 102991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.102991

Umar, Z., Bossman, A., Choi, S. Y., & Vo, X. V. (2023). Are short stocks susceptible to geopolitical shocks? Time-Frequency evidence from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Finance Research Letters, 52, Article 103388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.103388

Washington Post. (2022). Companies are getting out of Russia, sometimes at a Cost. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/article/russia-invasion-companies.html

World Food and Agriculture Organization. (2022). Impact of the Ukraine-Russia Conflict on Global Food Security and Related Matters under the Mandate of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved May 23, 2024, from https://www.fao.org/3/ni734en/ni734en.pdf

Xu, J., Khan, K., & Cao, Y. (2023). Conflict and exchange rate valuation: Evidence from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Heliyon, 9(6), Article e16527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16527

Zhao, J., & Zhang, T. (2023). Exploring the time-varying dependence between Bitcoin and the global stock market: Evidence from a TVP-VAR approach. Finance Research Letters, 58, Article 104342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104342

Zhou, X. Y., Lu, G., Xu, Z., Yan, X., Khu, S. T., Yang, J., & Zhao, J. (2023). Influence of Russia-Ukraine war on the global energy and food security. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 188, Article 106657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106657