The U.S. Announces Additional Sanctions Against Russia

The U.S. announced additional sanctions against Russia on Thursday, as President Joe Biden visits Europe for a series of summits with NATO and G7 leaders.

Thursday’s sanctions are aimed at higher-profile Russian individuals and are in addition to those implemented by the Biden administration earlier this month.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted these new sanctions target 328 members of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the country’s parliament. The U.S. is also sanctioning the Russian State Duma “in its entirety,” as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close ally Herman Gref, who heads up Sberbank.

More Russian elites, bank board members and defense entities will also be sanctioned according to Blinken.

“As part of this action, we are also targeting multiple Russian elites to include their properties and family members,” Blinken said. “Notably, this will include 17 members of the board of PJSC Sovcombank, a designated entity. These executives join the growing list of individuals associated with blocked Russian financial institutions that now also find themselves subject to U.S. sanctions.”

“Additionally, the United States is taking action to impose additional severe costs on Russia’s defense establishment. This includes designating multiple defense-related entities and one associated individual. An important component of today’s action is designating Russian defense companies that are part of Russia’s defense-industrial base and that produce weapons that have been used in Russia’s war of aggression,” Blinken continued.