US government announces new sanctions against Russia
Created: 04/06/2022 17:04
The images from the small town of Bucha, where numerous bodies of residents were found on the streets after the withdrawal of Russian troops, caused international horror.
© ---/Ukrinform/dpa
Earlier this week, the United States announced that it intended to impose new sanctions on Russia.
Now it also affects relatives of Putin and Lavrov.
Washington - The US is imposing new sanctions on Russia in the face of the war in Ukraine and the atrocities in the Kiev suburb of Bucha.
The punitive measures are aimed, among other things, at two large Russian banks and the adult children of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as the White House in Washington announced on Wednesday.
"The sickening brutality in Bucha has tragically exposed the despicable character of the Putin regime," a senior US official said.
The sanctions are aimed at Russia's major Sberbank and Alfa-Bank, which was founded by several oligarchs.
According to the White House, Sberbank holds almost a third of the assets of the entire Russian banking sector and is systemically important for the Russian economy.
Alfa Bank is Russia's largest privately owned financial institution.
The US government also prohibits new investments in Russia by US persons wherever they are located.
In this way, Russia should be further isolated from the global economy.
Also against elites and their relatives
Punitive measures are also taken against Russian elites and their relatives.
These include President Putin's adult children, Foreign Minister Lavrov's wife and daughter, former Russian head of state Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
"This measure will cut them off from the US financial system and freeze their assets in the United States," the White House said.
Important Russian state-owned companies are also subject to punitive measures.
These would prohibit all US citizens from doing business with these companies.
The assets of companies in the US are frozen.
This will hamper the Kremlin's ability to use these companies to fund the war in Ukraine, it said.
The US Treasury Department also prohibits Russia from paying off debts with funds subject to US jurisdiction.
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The USA, the EU, Great Britain and other allies have already imposed numerous sanctions on Moscow because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
So far, the targets of the measures have included Russia's financial system, the technology sector and politicians and oligarchs who are considered Putin's followers.
dpa