The US sanctioned Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his top diplomat Sergei Lavrov Friday in the latest of a string of Western moves in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Members of the Russian national security team, including Defense Minister Shoigu and First Deputy Defense Minister Gerasimov, were also sanctioned.
“Treasury is continuing to inflict costs on the Russian Federation and President Putin for their brutal and unprovoked assault on the people of Ukraine,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. “We are united with our international allies and partners to ensure Russia pays a severe economic and diplomatic price for its further invasion of Ukraine. If necessary, we are prepared to impose further costs on Russia for its appalling behavior on the world stage.”
Putin is one of the few heads of state to be designated by the US, which sends more of a signal than it impacts Putin himself.
Lavrov, who often travels to New York for meetings at the UN headquarters, will likely still be allowed to do so, but he could see stringent rules placed on him only to allow travel from his hotel to the UN.
The latest sanctions follow two separate tranches, which included killing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and cutting off Russian banks from the US financial system.
Comments