(PatriotWise.com)- Last Friday, the US Treasury Department announced targeted sanctions on dozens of Kremlin-linked Russian individuals whom it claims are supporting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The new sanctions target the immediate family members of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian tycoon Viktor Vekselberg, and all members of the Management Board of the already-sanctioned VTB Bank. Twelve members of the Russian parliament are also included in this round of sanctions.
The sanctioned individuals will be blocked from all US-based property and interests in property. They also prohibit any transactions involving the property or interests in property of sanctioned individuals by US citizens or those living in the US.
In a statement on Friday announcing the sanctions, Secretary Janet Yellen vowed that the Treasury Department would continue to hold to account those who enable “Putin’s unjustified and unprovoked war.”
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also issued guidance to guard against the use of digital currency as a way to evade the sanctions.
Biden last week signed an executive order banning the import of such Russian products as vodka, caviar, and diamonds while also barring the export of US luxury goods into Russia. The president also banned the supply of US dollars to the Russian government or any person living in Russia.
In her statement, Yellen also boasted that President Biden’s latest executive order will further isolate the Russian economy “by prohibiting trade in products that are key to the economic and financial interests of all Russian elites.”
On Tuesday, Russian President Putin responded by imposing sanctions on 13 American citizens including Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Hunter Biden.
In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the individual sanctions as a consequence of the Biden administration’s “extremely Russophobic policy.”
Those sanctioned Americans will be prevented from entering the Russian Federation and any assets they have in Russia will be frozen.
Others named in the sanctions are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley, national security advisor Jake Sullivan, press secretary Jen Psaki, and US-AID administrator Samantha Power.
In addition to sanctions on US individuals, Russia also imposed sanctions against 313 Canadians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers.
