The US authorities are working on the issue of introducing a new wide range of anti-Russian sanctions, which will have to prevent the “invasion” of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine. On December 6, CNN writes about this, citing sources.
According to them, the restrictions will affect the “inner circle” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as energy companies.
In addition, the measures provide for disconnecting Russia from SWIFT, an international interbank system for transferring information and making payments. The US authorities consider this step as a “nuclear” option.
“Those familiar with the situation said that the new economic sanctions could affect a number of sectors, including energy companies and Russian banks. New sanctions may also affect Russia’s sovereign debt, ”the TV channel reports.
“We’ve put together a damn aggressive package,” one source told CNN.
According to the source, the United States and Brussels may impose the worst economic sanctions against Moscow that have ever been applied against states, with the exception of North Korea and Iran.
The decision on restrictive measures has not yet been taken. The US administration is negotiating with European partners to coordinate actions.
At the same time, there are fears that Russia may respond to the actions of the United States and its allies by taking advantage of the containment of “the extraction of energy as a weapon.”
The channel’s message appeared on the eve of talks between the President of the United States Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, which will be held on Tuesday in the format of a videoconference using a secure communication line.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on reports of the likelihood of new anti-Russian sanctions. According to him, media reports about the possibility of US sanctions against the Russian Federation are “a continuation of the information hysteria.”
In addition, he pointed out that the Kremlin sees clearly aggressive Western rhetoric about Ukraine and media stuffing about the allegedly planned Russian invasion. According to him, tension in Ukraine can be removed only by receiving a guarantee that Kiev has abandoned a possible military solution to the Donbass problem.
On December 3, US President Joe Biden announced the preparation by the country’s administration of a number of comprehensive initiatives designed to prevent the allegedly possible aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. According to the politician, he maintains constant contact with the European allies and Ukraine on the emerging situation.
On December 1, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the United States was ready to impose large-scale economic sanctions against Russia in the event of its aggression towards Ukraine. According to him, Washington will inform Moscow in advance about the details of these restrictions.