U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet YellenWASHINGTON, Feb 17 If Western countries impose new sanctions against «Global consequences» for Russia will be inevitable, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. Earlier, US President Joe Biden admitted that sanctions against Russia in the event of an escalation of the situation around Ukraine would also hit the United States, causing, in particular, an increase in energy prices. «We recognize that the sanctions will have some global implications,» France Presse quoted her as saying. Yellen added that the US Treasury, together with the Europeans, is developing a series of financial sanctions that could affect «individuals or companies» and «could certainly include export controls.» According to the minister, Washington is working with the European Union to protect the latter as effectively as possible from the «adverse impact» of sanctions, trying to ensure the supply of energy resources to the continent. West recently accuses Russia of plans to escalate the situation around Ukraine, threatening to impose new large-scale sanctions. Against this background, the North Atlantic Alliance is strengthening its presence in Eastern Europe: sending additional forces and military contingent there. The Kremlin denies these accusations and claims that they serve as a pretext for strengthening the bloc's military presence near the Russian borders. They also explained that the main reason for the escalation is the actions of the United States and NATO, which are «pumping» Ukraine with weapons, thereby pushing it towards military adventures. >US considers sanctions against Putin's inner circle
