The 'war' against US sanctions

An eye for an eye, an eye for an eye.

TASS reported on May 20 that the Russian Foreign Ministry announced a ban on 500 American citizens entering Russia, in retaliation for the latest sanctions imposed by the administration of US President Joe Biden. In addition to former President Barack Obama, those sanctioned include current and former high-ranking officials, and leaders of defense companies that supply weapons to Ukraine.

Members of Congress , experts, and staff from policy research organizations have also been included on Russia's sanctions list. Specifically, Russia has banned entry to two former ambassadors, John Tefft and Jon Huntsman; Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and former Deputy Secretary Gina Jones; Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro; Army General David Stewart; and White House Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton. In addition, there are television presenters and comedians such as Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers; policy advisor Rachel Bauman; Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Michael Barr; and CNN news anchor Erin Burnett. Currently, a total of 1,844 Americans are subject to Russian sanctions.

Goods at a commercial port in the Russian city of Vladivostok.

Earlier on May 19, the US announced sanctions against more than 300 individuals and entities linked to Russia, aimed at preventing the country from continuing its military campaign in Ukraine. According to Reuters, those sanctioned include businessmen and companies accused of helping Russia purchase raw materials and technology products, Russian importers, educational and research institutions, and dozens of aircraft and ships linked to Moscow and the Wagner mercenary company. Meanwhile, on May 20, TASS quoted Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov as saying that the US adding certain medical and agricultural equipment to the export ban list undermined Washington's claim that the sanctions would not affect humanitarian goods.

In addition to announcing a list of retaliatory sanctions, Russia also rejected the latest US request for consular access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being held in Russia on espionage charges. This action was in response to the US refusal in April to grant visas to a Russian press delegation accompanying Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the UN headquarters in New York City.

More support for Ukraine

In an effort to garner support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Japan on the afternoon of May 20th to attend the G7 summit, flying on a French government plane, according to The Guardian. President Biden plans to announce a $374 million military aid package for Ukraine, according to Politico, citing US and Ukrainian officials. The new aid package includes additional artillery shells, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons.

A U.S. official revealed that President Biden supports a joint allied training program for Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, expected to take place in Europe and last for several months. U.S. officials estimate the fastest time to train and deliver the F-16s is 18 months.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Britain would coordinate with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark to "help Ukraine acquire the necessary air combat capabilities." Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that his country would participate in a US-developed fighter jet training program, while leaving open the possibility of transferring aircraft. In addition, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that Portugal had also agreed to train Ukrainian pilots and mechanics on Western fighter jets. According to TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that the West was still pursuing an "escalation scenario," and would face "great risks" if it supplied F-16s to Ukraine.

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