US imposes new sanctions on Russia’s supporters

As the US Treasury Department announced in Washington on Wednesday, the punitive measures are aimed at around 300 people and companies. Affected are companies from Russia, China and other countries that are accused of helping Moscow procure weapons and military equipment for the war in Ukraine.

As the statement shows, the punitive measures target not only Russian companies but also around 60 companies from other countries, 16 of them from China and the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The companies are therefore accused of “supporting Russia in the acquisition of key components for weapons production or for armaments programs.”

According to the statement, most of the companies helped Russia procure normally banned components, and two of them also helped procure materials for ammunition production.

More than 200 Russian companies on the list

Companies from five other countries are also affected by the new US sanctions: the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Azerbaijan as well as the two EU member states Belgium and Slovakia. In addition, more than 200 Russian companies are on the sanctions list, around a hundred of them from the armaments, transport or high technology sectors.

The sanctions, in which the US State Department is also involved, include, among other things, the freezing of the assets of the affected companies or individuals who are in the US – as well as a ban on US institutions or citizens from doing business with those subject to the sanctions affected persons or companies. The affected people will also be prohibited from entering the USA.

“Continue to disrupt Russia’s war effort”

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the new sanctions would “further disrupt and weaken Russia’s war effort by targeting its military-industrial base and the evasion networks that support it.”