U.S. to present new package of sanctions on Russia at G7 summit

US President Joe Biden's administration is presenting a new package of sanctions against Moscow. © Hiro Komae/AP/dpa

The West has responded to Russia's war with unprecedented sanctions to bring Moscow to its knees economically. The G7 summit will step up. The Americans are now pushing ahead.

Hiroshima - The US has announced a new package of sanctions in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Among other things, the plan is to cut off about 70 companies and organizations from Russia and other countries from U.S. exports, a senior U.S. government official said shortly before the official start of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

In addition, more than 300 individuals, companies and organizations, ships and aircraft are to be subject to other punitive measures.

Russia's war against Ukraine is one of the main topics of the meeting of the seven leading democratic industrialized nations, which officially begins this Friday. The West had already imposed unprecedented punitive measures against Russia in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in recent months, including far-reaching trade restrictions. Among other things, the G7 countries want to discuss in Hiroshima how they can improve the enforcement of existing sanctions and prevent them from being circumvented

G7 partners with their own sanctions

The U.S. official said that all G7 countries were preparing new sanctions and export controls at the same time. He did not want to comment in detail on the plans of the partners. "But the United States will launch a comprehensive package of measures of its own." The aim is to increase economic pressure on Russia and make it even harder to maintain its war machine.

The plan is to further complicate access to goods that are important on the battlefield, the senior U.S. government official said. About 70 companies and organizations from Russia and third countries were to be blacklisted in order to cut them off from US exports. In addition, more than 300 new sanctions against companies and organizations, individuals, ships and aircraft are planned to prevent the circumvention of punitive measures. It is about financial and other supporters of Russia. The sanctions hit targets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

In addition, sanctions powers should be extended to the digital sector of the Russian economy. Concrete details on the new US sanctions package and those affected should follow.

There will be a separate statement on Ukraine at the Hiroshima summit. It provides for new commitments to close sanctions loopholes and further reduce dependence on Russian energy, the US government official said. Efforts to curtail Russia's access to the international financial system should also continue.

In addition to the United States, the G7 also includes Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Canada, as well as representatives of the European Union. The G7 group's deliberations are scheduled from Friday to Sunday. Dpa