New Russia sanctions target weapons development, assisting countries
WASHINGTON — The US on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on hundreds of companies and people involved in Russia’s weapons development program, more than a dozen Chinese companies accused of helping Russia find solutions to the sanctions and on individuals involved in the death of Russian dissident Alexey Navalny.
The sanctions imposed by the Treasury and State Departments target Russia’s military-industrial base, chemical weapons programs, and people and companies in third countries that are helping Russia acquire weapons components as the invasion of Ukraine enters its third year .
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the move “will further disrupt and worsen Russia’s war effort by going after the military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it.”
The sanctions come as the Senate gave final approval to legislation banning Russian uranium imports, boosting U.S. efforts to disrupt Russia’s war in Ukraine. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 12% of the uranium used to produce electricity in U.S. nuclear power plants is imported from Russia.
A National Security Council spokesman said Wednesday that Biden, a Democrat, shares lawmakers’ concerns about U.S. dependence on Russia for low-enriched uranium to support its domestic nuclear fleet.
Wednesday’s sanctions announcement includes importers of cotton cellulose and nitrocellulose – used to produce gunpowder, rocket fuels and other explosives. Also included are Russian government agencies and people involved in Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs and companies involved in Russia’s natural gas construction projects.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly railed against various rounds of US and Western sanctions, claiming last year that they were “illegal sanctions” against his country.
A group of 16 targets in China and Hong Kong, most of them linked to Russian procurement solutions, are also included in the latest sanctions announcement.
Companies in countries such as China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have been accused of helping Russia acquire technology and equipment from abroad. The penalties are intended to deter them from using the U.S. financial system and deter U.S. citizens from interacting with it.
The sanctions come after Biden said last week he would immediately transfer desperately needed weapons to Ukraine when he signed a $95 billion war aid measure into law that also included aid to Israel, Taiwan and other global hotspots.
Yellen said that with the combination of the sanctions and additional funding, “our support for Ukraine and our relentless assault on Russia’s military capabilities gives Ukraine a crucial advantage on the battlefield.”