President Joe Biden announced on Friday (23) that Washington will issue more than 500 new sanctions against Russia, as the US seeks to increase pressure on Moscow to mark the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, which will be completed tomorrow.
The United States will also impose new export restrictions on nearly 100 entities for providing support to Russia and will take steps to further reduce Russia’s energy revenues, Biden said in a statement.
The measures seek to hold Russia accountable for the war and the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Biden said, while Washington seeks to continue supporting Ukraine, which is facing an acute ammunition shortage and sees US military aid being delayed by months in Congress.
“They will ensure that Putin pays an even higher price for his aggression abroad and repression at home,” Biden said of the sanctions.
As a result, Friday’s measures will target individuals linked to Navalny’s arrest, as well as Russia’s financial sector, defense industrial base, purchasing networks and sanctions evaders on several continents, according to the US president. .
The sanctions are the latest in thousands of targets announced by the United States and its allies following Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, which killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed cities.
“After two years of war, the people of Ukraine continue to fight with tremendous courage. But they are running out of ammunition. Ukraine needs more supplies from the United States to hold the line against Russia’s relentless attacks, which are enabled by weapons and ammunition from Iran and North Korea,” Biden said.
