U.S., Europe, Canada Hit Putin and Lavrov With Sanctions

The United States, along with EU, UK, and Canada, have moved to freeze foreign-held assets of Russia's Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov on Friday, amid Russian aggression against Ukraine, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"The U.S. continues to forcefully respond to Russia's unjustified, unprovoked and premeditated invasion of Ukraine" - the U.S. Treasury said Friday night in a statement.

President Putin and Minister Lavrov "are directly responsible for Russia's unprovoked and unlawful further invasion of Ukraine, a democratic sovereign state," the Treasury Department said.

It is exceedingly rare for the Treasury Department to designate a head of state; President Putin joins a very small group that includes despots such as Kim Jong Un, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and Bashar al-Assad.

"In addition, today the U.S. Department of State designated two additional Government of Russia officials and members of Russia's Security Council directly responsible for the further invasion of Ukraine: Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, First Deputy Minister of Defense, and General of the Army Valery Gerasimov," reads the Treasury's statement.

Washington has previously designated 11 members of the Russian Security Council and will continue to impose costs on the ruling elite as Russia prosecutes this brutal war of choice. "The Treasury is continuing to inflict costs on the Russian Federation and President Putin for their brutal and unprovoked assault on the people of Ukraine."

"We are united with our international allies and partners to ensure Russia pays a severe economic and diplomatic price for its further invasion of Ukraine. If necessary, we are prepared to impose further costs on Russia for its appalling behavior on the world stage" - said Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.

The sanctions were closely coordinated as they came just hours after president Biden met with his NATO counterparts and spoke by phone with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine for about 40 minutes, as TURAN's Washington correspondent was informed by the White House.

"I have ordered the deployment of additional forces to augment our capabilities in Europe to support our NATO Allies," Biden said in a statement following the virtual NATO summit. "And I strongly welcome the decision to activate NATO's defensive plans and elements of the NATO Response Force to strengthen our collective posture, as well as the commitments by our Allies to deploy additional land and air forces to the eastern flank and maritime forces from the High North to the Mediterranean."

The leaders were joined yesterday by their colleagues from Sweden, Finland, and the European Union.

"President Putin has failed in his goal of dividing the West," Biden said. "NATO is as united and resolute as it's ever been, and NATO will maintain its Open Door to those European states who share our values and who one day may seek to join our Alliance. As we navigate this crisis, we pledged to work even more closely together in our defense of freedom and the democratic values that imbue our Alliance with purpose and power"

As for his conversation with President Zelenskyy, Biden said he "commended the brave actions of the Ukrainian people who were fighting to defend their country."

"I also conveyed ongoing economic, humanitarian, and security support being provided by the United States as well as our continued efforts to rally other countries to provide similar assistance."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.