U.S. Announces Sanctions On Russian President Vladimir Putin

The United States, in coordination with the European Union and Britain, announced sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House announced Friday.

“The United States, in coordination with allies and partners, continued to forcefully respond to Russia’s unjustified, unprovoked, and premeditated invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, as well as other members of Russia’s Security Council,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.

These new sanctions build on other sweeping actions that the United States and partners took earlier this week targeting the core infrastructure of the Russian financial system, including sanctions against Russia’s largest financial institutions, restricting the ability of the Government of the Russian Federation to raise capital, and cutting it off from access to critical technologies.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the move to sanction Putin and Lavrov was made in coordination with European allies.

“It’s been on the table for some time, but through coordination and discussion with our European partners over the last day or so,” Psaki said when asked for details on the timing of the decision.

On Friday evening, the Biden administration announced that several members of Russia’s National Security Council would also be sanctioned, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov.

“Treasury has previously designated eleven members of the Russian Security Council and will continue to impose costs on the ruling elite as Russia prosecutes this brutal war of choice,” the Treasury Department statement said.

“Treasury is continuing to inflict costs on the Russian Federation and President Putin for their brutal and unprovoked assault on the people of Ukraine. As President Biden said yesterday, Putin rejected every good faith effort the United States and our allies and partners made to address our mutual security concerns through dialogue to avoid needless conflict and avert human suffering,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.

“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.”

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