US announces major sanctions on 2 years of Russia's conflict with Ukraine

The U.S. Treasury Department has targeted nearly 300 individuals and entities, while the U.S. State Department has targeted more than 250 individuals and entities, and the U.S. Commerce Department has added more than 90 companies to its Entity List.

US President Joe Biden. Photo: Reuters

Specifically, the sanctions target Russia's Mir payment system, financial institutions, military -industrial facilities, energy production, and other sectors of the country.

Responding to the sanctions, Russia's ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said: "Doesn't Washington realize that sanctions won't bring us down?"

The U.S. and its allies have imposed sanctions on thousands of Russian targets since the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. The European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada also took action against Russia on Friday.

However, Russia's export-oriented, $2.2 trillion economy has withstood sanctions that were unprecedented compared to Western predictions.

In the new sanctions, the US also imposed sanctions on Russia's leading oil tanker company, Sovcomflot, accusing it of violating the G7's Russian oil price limits. Additionally, 14 other crude oil tankers were targeted.

The sanctions also target more than a dozen Russian banks, investment firms, venture capital funds and fintech companies.

The U.S. is also targeting Russia's future energy production and exports, specifically the Arctic LNG 2 project in Siberia. In November, Washington imposed sanctions on a major entity involved in the project.

Meanwhile, the US State Department has targeted Russia's Zvezda shipbuilding company, which is believed to be involved in building up to 15 specialized LNG carriers intended for use in supporting LNG 2 exports in the Arctic.

The U.S. also imposed sanctions on entities based in China, Türkiye, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, and elsewhere for failing to comply with Western sanctions against Russia and for other reasons.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, called the sanctions against Chinese companies "a typical example of economic coercion, unilateralism, and bullying" by the United States.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, AP, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/my-cong-bo-lenh-trung-phat-khong-lo-nhan-dip-2-nam-nga-xung-dot-voi-ukraine-post285591.html