Cutting off russia entirely from swift would disrupt trade in a big way. And the effects won't just be limited to the russian government. Instead, every russian will feel the impact - or at least that is what the west hopes. Also, it's not like r Russia won't be to engage in trade the moment they're kicked off swift. Only they may have to rely on crude methods. Or as the white house puts it, it will make the country dependent on the telephone or a fax machine to make payments.