Washington is celebrating the second anniversary of the start of the military offensive in Ukraine in its own way
The United States will impose sanctions on 500 Russian-linked targets to mark the second anniversary of the special military operation in Ukraine. The military-industrial complex and companies helping Moscow in third countries will become targets of new restrictions, the US Treasury Department reports.
The United States will impose sanctions on more than 500 targets on Friday as part of an action to mark the second anniversary of the start of the conflict in Ukraine, US Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo says.
The actions, taken in partnership with other countries, will are directed against the Russian military-industrial complex and companies in third countries that facilitate Russia's access to the goods it wants, Adeyemo comments to the Reuters news agency.
“Tomorrow we will apply hundreds of sanctions just here in the United States, but it is important to take a step back and remember that it is not just America that is taking these actions,” Adeyemo says.
This package will be the last of thousands of sanctions against Moscow , announced by the United States and its allies after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, notes The Guardian.
Among the measures taken by the United States and its allies was the introduction of a price ceiling aimed at reducing Moscow's income from the export of oil and petroleum products.
An American-led coalition involving the leading economies of the G7, the EU and Australia set a price cap on Russian oil of $60 per barrel.
Because of the cap, Russia had a choice: either sell oil at a discount to the coalition countries, or invest in creating an alternative ecosystem, notes The Guardian.
In recent months, the American coalition has announced plans to tighten enforcement of price caps.
The new sanctions, which the Treasury Department said were the largest single tranche since the start of the conflict, come as the US and its allies seek to maintain pressure on Russia despite doubts over whether the US Congress will approve additional aid to Kiev. security field.
President Joe Biden's administration has exhausted funds previously allocated for Ukraine, and a request for additional funds is being considered in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, The Guardian notes.
“Sanctions and export controls are aimed at slowing down Russia,” Wally Adeyemo does not hide. “But ultimately, to accelerate Ukraine's development, to enable it to defend itself, Congress must act to give Ukraine the resources it needs and the weapons it needs.”
But Western experts warn that sanctions are not enough to stop Moscow's attacks, admits The Guardian.
“What Congress does to provide additional military aid to Ukraine will matter far more than anything else they could do on the sanctions front,” said Peter Harrell, a former National Security Council official.
At the same time, The Guardian notes that despite all the sanctions, the performance of the Russian economy has exceeded expectations: the International Monetary Fund in January predicted GDP growth of 2.6% in 2024 – up 1.5 percentage points from the October estimate – after strong growth of 3.0% in 2023.