A barrage of sanctions against Russia was announced today by the US and Britain. At the same time, the permanent representatives of the Member States of the European Union failed to agree today at new package of sanctions against Russia. However, there is a “window” for finding a compromise solution at the next meeting of the Permanent Representatives, on Thursday.
America imposes sanctions on Putin’s daughters and Lavrov’s family
A new package of sanctions against Russia, and in particular against the Putin daughters, the Lavrov family and the Russian bank Sberbank, is imposed by the USA as announced today.
More specifically, the measures are aimed more broadly at the Russian elite and the country’s banks, and include, among other things, a ban on investment in Russia by any American, either at the level of venture capital or at the level of mergers.
According to Reuters, a senior US official clarified that the new sanctions will lead to the complete closure, in terms of transactions, of the Russian bank Sberbank, which owns one third of the total assets of Russia, and Alfabank.
The United States has also imposed sanctions on the adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the wife and daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and members of Russia’s Security Council, the official said.
The list of persons for whom sanctions are envisaged also includes the Vice-President of the Security Council of Russia and former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
The United States is expected to announce further measures against Russia, while according to reports sanctions against the president’s daughters Vladimir Putin the EU is also expected to impose
One day after its president Of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskygave frightening testimony at the UN For the atrocities he described as war crimes, EU diplomats were preparing to discuss a ban on Russian coal, a halt to trade with four major banks and a ban on several Russian ships from EU ports later. on Wednesday.
Closer members of the Russian leader’s family may be added to the growing list of sanctions, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported, citing news agencies saying they were aware of the plan.
It is unclear whether these sanctions against her Maria Vorontsova and her Katerina Tikhonovawill come from the US, the EU or both.
Prosecution against Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev for circumventing sanctions
The United States are helping international efforts to gather evidence of possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, Justice Minister Merrick Garland said today.
The head of the US Department of State’s prosecutors met this week in Paris with his French counterpart, the minister said.
A little earlier, the ministry announced that Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev prosecuted in US with the accused of funding Russians promoting the Crimean separatist movement. The Russian multimillionaire is considered by the US Treasury Department as one of It is also accused of providing material support to Donetsk’s self-proclaimed “democracy” in eastern Ukraine.
“After being sanctioned by the United States, Malofeev tried to circumvent them by using accomplices to buy and run undercover media across Europe,” he added.
Is for the first time prosecuted a Russian oligarch in the US after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, clarified the Deputy Minister of Justice Lisa Monaco.
Garland also said that the US authorities had stopped a kind of malicious computer network, known as a botnet (robot program) which was controlled by the Russian military intelligence service GRU.
“The Russian government has recently used similar infrastructure to attack Ukrainian targets. “Fortunately, we were able to stop this robot program before it was used.”
“Thanks to our close cooperation with our international partners, we have been able to detect the infection of thousands of computers” and “we were able to disable GRU control on these computers before the robot program could be used as a weapon,” he said.
New British sanctions against Russia: Stop coal and oil imports within the year
At the same time, one more wave of sanctions against Russian interests announced in the afternoon the government of the United Kingdom.
The complete freezing of the assets of the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, the total ban on British investments in Russia, which in 2020 amounted to 11 billion pounds, and the commitment to completely end the import of Russian coal and oil from the United Kingdom to the United Kingdom stand out. of the year.
The phasing out of oil imports and its derivatives from Russia by 2022, however, had been announced in early March. London imports 8% of its oil from Russia.
As for russian gaswhich accounts for 4% of the UK’s needs, the Johnson’s government said measures would be taken to end imports soon after the end of the year.
Along with the announcements for the new sanctions, The Foreign Office has confirmed that at the G7 Foreign Ministers ‘meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Liz Tras will urge her counterparts to speed up the timetable for ending their countries’ dependence on Russian energy.
The new measureswhere is the fifth wave of sanctions by the United Kingdomare required in coordination with the EU and the US and also provide, inter alia: a freeze on Credit Bank assets, a ban on the export of oil refining equipment and catalysts to Russia, a ban on imports of iron and steel products, and sanctions against eight other Russian oligarchs linked to President Putin or his “war machine.”
Between them Andrei Akimov, head of Russia’s third-largest bank Gazprombank.
London has now imposed sanctions on 18 Russian banks with assets of 40 940 billion and on 82 oligarchs with total assets valued at more than 170 170 billion.
THE Foreign Minister Liz Trass commented that the strengthening of the measures is aimed at ending Putin’s heinous war and helps to end the import of Russian energy.
“Together with our allies, we show the Russian elite that it cannot wash its hands of the atrocities committed on Putin’s orders. “We will not calm down until Ukraine prevails,” she said.
At the same time, the permanent representatives of the Member States of the European Union failed to agree today at new package of sanctions against Russia suggested by the European Commission, as some technical issues need to be addressed first, such as if the ban on Russian coal imports will also apply to current contractsReuters reports, citing unnamed sources.
On Tuesday, the Commission proposed banning the import of all types of coal from Russia as part of measures to limit EU trade relations with Moscow.
At today’s meeting of the Permanent Representatives, however, some objectedsaid three sources in the Reuters agency.
It is unclear how the issue could be resolved, but diplomats were optimistic that a compromise could be reached at the next meeting of the Permanent Representatives on Thursday.
It is reminded that Yesterday, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented via Twitter the fifth package of sanctions against Russia.
According to von der Leyen, the proposals include six pointswhich include, inter alia, ban on coal imports, ban on transactions with four Russian banks and blockade of road and sea transport.
The head of the Commission wrote on Twitter:
“Russia is waging a brutal, ruthless war, also against the civilian population of Ukraine.
We must maintain maximum pressure at this critical point.
So today we suggest a 5th package of sanctions
1. Prohibition of imports of coal from Russia, worth 4 billion euros per year, reducing another important source of revenue for Russia.
2. Complete ban on transactions in 4 major Russian banks, including VTB, the 2nd largest Russian bank.
3. Prohibition of access to EU ports by Russian ships and prohibition of road access to Russian and Belarusian transport companies.
4. Further € 10 billion export bans in critical sectors: advanced semiconductors, machinery and transport equipment
5. Specific new import bans, worth 5.5 billion euros.
6. Targeted measures, such as banning Russian companies from participating in public procurement in the EU and blocking any financial support, European or national, to Russian public bodies.
Finally, we propose more sanctions against individuals.
“We are also working on additional sanctions, including oil imports, and are considering some of the Member States’ ideas, such as taxes or specific payment channels, such as a guarantee account.”
Russia is waging a cruel, ruthless war, also against Ukraine’s civilian population.
We need to sustain utmost pressure at this critical point.
So today we are proposing a 5th package of sanctions. pic.twitter.com/GEuPQf0Wgr
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 5, 2022
1 – An import ban on coal from Russia, worth € 4 billion per year, cutting another important revenue source for Russia.
2 – A full transaction ban on 4 key Russian banks, among them VTB, the 2nd largest Russian bank. pic.twitter.com/MknRVScmbN
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 5, 2022
3 – A ban on Russian & Russian operated vessels from accessing EU ports and a ban on Russian and Belarusian road transport operators.
4 – Further export bans, worth € 10 billion, in crucial areas: advanced semiconductors, machinery and transport equipment pic.twitter.com/qLu1JZyhER
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 5, 2022
5 – Specific new import bans, worth € 5.5 billion euros.
6 – Targeted measures, such as a ban on participation of Russian companies in public procurement in 🇪🇺 and exclusion of all financial support, EU or national to Russian public bodies. pic.twitter.com/7loq1Sd00E
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 5, 2022
Finally, we are also proposing further listings of individuals.
We are also working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports, and reflecting on some of the ideas of the Member States, such as taxes or specific payment channels such as an escrow account. pic.twitter.com/bk9HjUNyUP
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 5, 2022
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