US Announces New Series of Sanctions on Russia, Belarus

 

The sanctions are meant to hamper Russia's defense industry

by Dave DeCamp Posted onMarch 2, 2022CategoriesNewsTagsBelarus, Russia, Ukraine

On Wednesday, the White House announced a new round of sanctions on Russia and Belarus as the US continues to ramp up the economic pressure in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine.

The White House said it was targeting Belarus “for enabling Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.” The sanctions will extend import controls already implemented on Russia to Belarus. The idea is to limit the transfer of sensitive technologies from Belarus to Russia.

The measures against Russia include “full blocking sanctions” on 22 Russian “defense entities.” The US is also targeting Russia’s oil sector by implementing new export controls on technology that would support Russia’s oil refining capabilities.

The White House also detailed the ban on Russian aircraft from entering US airspace, which President Biden announced on Tuesday night during his State of the Union address.

“As the President announced, the United States will close off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia – and adding an additional squeeze on its economy,” the White House said.

During his speech, Biden boasted that Russia’s economy was “reeling” since the US and its allies began implementing harsh sanctions. The Kremlin on Wednesday recognized that the Russian economy “has suffered a serious blow” but also said, “we are still standing.”

There’s no reason to think the harsh sanctions will stop Russia’s assault since they were factored into Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, and the economic pain will be mostly felt by ordinary Russians.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/03/02/us-announces-new-series-of-sanctions-on-russia-belarus/