USA announced this Sunday sanctions against 27 directors of the Russian bank Gazprombank and against the Russian television networks Channel One, Rossiya and NTV, as well as against the arms manufacturer Promtekhnologiya in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The White House announced these sanctions after the virtual meeting of the G7 leaders, in which the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, intervened.
A high-ranking US official explained to the press that the sanctions against the directors of Gazprombank seek to give a “warning” to the entity, a banking subsidiary of the Russian state gas company Gazprom and the only way authorized by the Kremlin for EU members to make their payments for the purchase of Russian gas.
However, since the sanctions are not directed against the bank itself but against its directors, European countries will be able to continue trading with Russia, he told that source.
Washington also retaliated against eight senior officials of the entity Sberbankthe most important in Russia, representing 37% of its financial system and which had already been subject to US sanctions.
As a result of the action taken this Sunday, the visas that the sanctioned individuals may have to enter the country are revoked.
In total, the United States announced this Sunday similar measures against 2,600 individuals that it claims are part of the Russian elite or are Russian or Belarusian officialswho have allegedly helped perpetrate aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty or have violated human rights.
On the other hand, the US government retaliated against three television networks: Channel One, Rossiya and NTVthe latter property of the almighty Gazprom-Media communication group, itself a subsidiary of Gazprom.
Washington accuses the chains of having become part of the Russian president’s propaganda “machine”Vladimir Putin.
As a result of the sanctions, those three stations will be barred from acquiring the technology they need to broadcast, from cameras and microphones made in the US to sound equipment and lighting systems.
Washington also announced sanctions against Promtekhnologiya, a company that produces rifles and other weapons used by Russian troops in Ukraineas well as against seven shipping companies that own or operate 69 vessels and one marine towing company.
The sale to Russia by US companies of industrial materials that could be used for the war in Ukraine, such as bulldozers, industrial engines, fans, boilers and wood products, will also be prohibited.
In addition, the Joe Biden government decreed that US companies will not be able to provide accounting and advisory services to any Russian person or entity.
Finally, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a US government agency, will suspend the licenses that allowed the export to Russia of certain materials with uranium and plutonium.
The sanctions will come into force between this Sunday and Mondayas the aforementioned official explained to the press.
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