US broadens sanctions against Russia, blames Ukraine conflict, not recent veto
The United States has imposed further sanctions against Russia over the conflict with the Ukraine and Crimea. Eleven more people and 15 more companies have been put on the sanctions list. Critics point to the Russian veto at the MH17 tribunal, but the US source denies the connection.
Targeted by the Obama administration are affiliate companies of Russian oil giant Rosneft, as well as several organizations linked to one of the country’s major banks: Vnesheconombank.
A statement from the US Embassy communicating the Obama’s adminstration stance is that this is not as an escalation of tensions between the countries but rather as a “routine step” in strengthening current US policy.
On the record: Today’s #sanction actions are not an escalation. Rather they are a routine step to strengthen existing measures. — Will Stevens (@WBStevens) July 30, 2015
The embassy said the restrictions are not linked to Russia vetoing the resolution on an MH17 tribunal.
Image/CIA
Sanctions were also imposed against five Crimean commercial ports located in the towns of Sevastopol, Feodoisa, Kerch, Evpatoria and Yalta, as well as the Kerch ferry service.
The new US sanctions also targeted a Ukrainian businessman from Donetsk, Oleksandr Yanukovich, son of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who was toppled by the Maidan protests in 2014. The list also included the environment minister from his cabinet, Eduard Stavytsky.
Another target of the new US sanctions was Roman Rotenberg, the son of the Russian businessman Boris Rotenberg and the member of the Kontinental Hockey League Executive board.
The US sanctions also targeted Russian arms industry and arms export as the new list targeted the Kalashnikov Concern.
The US sanctions will not affect the corporate activities of the Kalashnikov Concern, as the production of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant that has been added to the sanctions list has not been delivering to the US for more than a year, the press-service of the Kalashnikov Concern said.
President Barack Obama meets with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at his dacha outside Moscow, Russia 2009 Pete Souza photo
