U.S. Imposes Sweeping Sanctions On Russia

Washington D.C./24.02.23/Turan:  The Biden Administration on Friday announced new sanctions against Russia to hold the country accountable one year after it invaded Ukraine, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Our actions today are made even more powerful because we are taking them in coordination with G7 partners, demonstrating our ongoing unity in working to ensure Russia bears costs for its brutal war," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.  "Ukraine is a symbol of freedom for us all", he added.

The State Department designated over 60 individuals and entities complicit in the administration of Russia’s government-wide operations and policies of aggression toward Ukraine and in the illegitimate administration of occupied Ukrainian territories for the benefit of Russia. These targets include government ministers, governors, and high-level officials in Russia, as well as six individuals and three entities operating in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia, facilitating grain theft, and governing on behalf of Russia. Additionally, the Department is designating 3 entities involved in expanding Russia’s future energy production and export capacity.

Today’s sanctions also include four individuals and 22 entities in Russia’s advanced technology sector. In particular, the Department is targeting manufacturers and developers of hardware and software for Russia’s intelligence collection capabilities through its System for Operational-Search Measures as part of our efforts to degrade Russia’s capacity to violently expand its imperial project around the globe.

Further, the Department is designating three key enterprises that develop and operate Russia’s nuclear weapons as well as three Russian civil nuclear entities under the Rosatom organizational structure. "We are also designating those engaged in Russia’s illegitimate control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).  Russia’s military attacks on, and subsequent seizure of the ZNPP, have only underscored the global concerns related to nuclear energy security and undermine the Kremlin’s efforts to portray itself as a responsible supplier of nuclear energy products," Blinken noted.

To further degrade Putin’s ability to wage war, the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on financial institutions—including additional banks—propping up Russia’s economy, dozens of Russian defense entities, and dozens of third-country actors connected to sanctions evasion activities.  Furthermore, to increase pressure on Russia’s war machine, the Treasury is also identifying the metals and mining sector of Russia’s economy as exposed to sanctions and designating four entities for operating or having operated in the metals and mining sector.

In addition, the White House announced on Friday new tariff increases on a variety of goods from Russia, raising tariffs on most metal, and metal products, to 70 percent, further targeting this crucial sector of Russia’s economy. Biden also increased tariffs on additional Russian products to 35 percent. These measures are designed to target key Russian commodities generating revenue for the Kremlin while reducing U.S. reliance on Russia.

The Commerce Department has issued four rules today imposing additional export restrictions on Russia, Belarus, and Iran, as well as entities in third countries, in response to Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine. The first rule aims to enhance the effectiveness of the multilateral sanctions on Russia by further limiting access to items that enable Russia’s military capabilities and sources of revenue that could support those capabilities. The second rule imposes new export control measures on Iran, Russia, and Belarus to address Russia’s use of Iranian UAVs in its ongoing war against Ukraine.  The third and fourth rules add to the Entity List entities in Russia supporting Russia’s military or Russia’s filtration operations in occupied areas of Ukraine, as well as entities in third countries, including China, for contributing to Russia’s military or defense industrial base.

Finally, the State Department is also announcing steps to impose visa restrictions on 1,219 members of the Russian military, including officers, for actions that threaten or violate the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of Ukraine.  This effort is pursuant to a policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which restricts visa issuance to those who are believed to have supported, been actively complicit in, or been responsible for ordering or otherwise directing or authorizing these actions.

Russian military officials Artyom Igorevich Gorodilov, Aleksey Sergeyevich Bulgakov, and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Vasilyev are being designated for their involvement in gross violations of human rights perpetrated against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. Under this authority, Gorodilov, Bulgakov, and Vasilyev, and their immediate family members, are ineligible for entry into the United States.

Alex Raufoglu