After Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the annexation of four Ukrainian regions on Friday, Washington slapped Moscow and Putin’s allies with another round of sanctions, also warning anyone outside of Russia against providing Moscow political or economic support for the purported annexation.
The US Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen said in Friday’s announcement that the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Russian central bank’s governor Elvira Sakhipzadovna Nabiullina, the first deputy governor of the Russian central bank and former advisor to Putin, a deputy prime minister and family members of other national security council officials, 169 members of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and 109 additional State Duma members.
Stressing that Washington will not stand by as Putin is fraudulently annexing parts of Ukraine, Yellen noted that along with the US government, they’re taking sweeping action to further weaken Russia’s military-industrial complex – which is already degraded – and undermine its ability to wage its illegal war.
OFAC had also designated 278 members of Russia’s legislature, 14 individuals in Russia’s military-industrial complex, three senior leaders in Russia’s financial sector, and family members of senior Russian officials.
She underscored that the Treasury, the US government, and its allies will take swift and severe actions against any individuals and companies inside and outside of Russia who are complicit in this war and these sham referendums.
One of those companies based in China was designated for supporting a US-designated Russian defense procurement company.
Meanwhile, pointing out that the United States unequivocally rejects Russia’s fraudulent attempt to change Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they would never recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian lands.
Blinken added that the State Department is placing visa restrictions on 910 individuals, including members of the Russian military, Belarusian military officials, and Russia’s proxies, “for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence.
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