"The problem is that these are global banks and if they've committed breaches of the law in the US they have to be punished accordingly, " Mr Cable told BBC Radio 5 live.
What would the world be like if we couldn't be confident that people we encounter will not harm us, and that they will be punished if they willfully do so?
In 2010, it was punished for increasing inflation and rising interest rates designed to keep the rouble from appreciating too much against the US dollar.