U.S. and E.U. Announce New Sanctions On Russia – The United States continues to levy economic sanctions against Russia and Russian oligarchs, this week announcing a series of new sanctions against a Russian oligarch, the board of directors of a major Russian railway network, and more.
In a fact sheet published on Thursday, the Department of State said that the White House is “committed to working alongside our allies and partners to further impose severe consequences on President Putin and his enablers for Russia’s unconscionable war against Ukraine.”
The fact sheet laid out a series of new sanctions against Vladimir Olegovich Potanin, one of the wealthiest oligarchs in Russia and the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
Potanin’s company “Interros” was also sanctioned by the United States this week, along with his wife, Ekaterina Viktorovna Potanina and his adult children, Ivan Vladimirovich Potanin and Anastasia Vladimirovna Potanina.
The “Nirvana” super yacht owned by Potanin was also sanctioned.
U.S. Sanctions Russian Railways Board of Directors
Also among those sanctioned this week are all members of the Russian Railways board of directors.
“In February 2022, the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, in consultation with the Department of State, determined Russian Railways to be owned or controlled by, or have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation, and on that basis imposed the prohibitions of Directive 3 under E.O. 14024,” the fact sheet reads.
European Union Agrees On New Sanctions
At a European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, European Union leaders reached an agreement on a new package of sanctions aimed at Russia. EU officials didn’t immediately release full details of the sanctions on Thursday but did follow up on the meeting on Friday with a press release.
The European Council announced a package focused on export controls and restrictions, asset freezing of Russian banks, and building on existing sanctions in the energy and mining sectors.
Specifically, the European Council announced new export controls over dual-use goods and technology that can “contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defence and security sector.”
New sanctions on 168 entities will prevent chemicals, night-vision and radio-navigation equipment, nerve agents, and other electronic components from being freely traded with entities that could put them in the hands of Russian military or government officials.
The European Union will also impose new asset-freezing measures on two additional Russian banks, and will also prevent four Russian media outlets from broadcasting disinformation in European countries.
“In order to address the Russian Federation’s systematic, international campaign of disinformation and information manipulation intended to destabilise its neighbouring countries, the EU and its member states, the Council initiated the process for suspending the broadcasting licences of four additional media outlets: NTV/NTV Mir, Rossiya 1, REN TV and Pervyi Kanal,” the press release reveals.
The European Union will also introduce a ban on consulting services being sold to Russia by European businesses and will expand on existing measures preventing investment in the Russian energy sector.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor.
