US ready to impose an embargo against Russia, similar to the DPRK | News from Germany about Ukraine

US President Joe Biden’s administration and its allies are considering new tough sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine. Among other things, the Russian Federation can be included in the list of states that are subject to the most stringent export restrictions. These are countries such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria, Western media reported on Sunday, January 9, citing informed sources.

In this case, the ban will be the export of electronics to Russia, including consumer electronics, software and technology. “This will deal a blow to Russia’s high-tech ambitions, such as artificial intelligence or quantum computing,” the AP news agency reported.

In turn, Reuters notes that in the event of such sanctions, not only electronics and software produced directly in the United States, but also products from other countries, in the creation of which largely used American technologies, will be banned.

Armament of “Ukrainian partisans”

Meanwhile, The New York Times (NYT) reported that the White House is considering arming “Ukrainian guerrillas” who will “fight the occupation” should Russian troops invade Ukraine. At the same time, all sources note that no decisions have yet been made, and the United States and its allies in Europe still hope that the crisis will be overcome and Russia will not launch a military operation against Ukraine.

Bloomberg notes that the Biden administration is tightening its tone ahead of upcoming weekly talks with Russia on security issues in Europe.

Since the fall of 2021, Western and Ukrainian sources have reported that Russia is carrying out a massive transfer of troops and military equipment to the border with Ukraine. In their opinion, this could be preparation for an invasion. The Russian authorities categorically deny plans for a military operation on Ukrainian territory and, in turn, accuse the West of arming Ukraine and conducting exercises near Russian borders. The Kremlin also demands from NATO guarantees that Ukraine will not be admitted to the North Atlantic alliance.

See also:

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

US sanctions in connection with the poisoning of Navalny

10 Russian, 3 German and 1 Swiss companies came under trade sanctions in connection with the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. Washington suspects firms on the US Department of Commerce blacklisted March 3, 2021 of involvement in the creation and distribution of chemical weapons. Additional licensing requirements for export, re-export and technology transfer to these companies will be introduced.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

EU against Russian siloviki

On March 2, 2021, the EU officially entered into force sanctions against the Russian security officials responsible for the criminal prosecution of Alexei Navalny and human rights violations during the dispersal of peaceful protests in the Russian Federation. Under EU sanctions were the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the National Guard Viktor Zolotov, the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service Alexander Kalashnikov and the Prosecutor General of Russia Igor Krasnov.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

US added Kremlin officials to sanctions lists

The United States also imposed personal sanctions for the poisoning and prosecution of Navalny. The list includes not only security officials, but also officials: FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, Deputy Defense Ministers Pavel Popov and Alexei Krivoruchko, head of the Federal Penitentiary Service and representatives of the presidential administration Sergey Kiriyenko and Andrey Yarin.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

Ban on defense exports to Russia

In addition to personal and trade sanctions, the United States imposed a ban on the export of defense products, technologies and services to Russia. This was also a reaction to the use of chemical weapons against Alexei Navalny and Sergei Skripal. An exception is made only to support intergovernmental space cooperation. Commercial cooperation in space will be limited after a six-month transition period.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

For a cyber attack on the Bundestag

On October 22, 2020, the EU imposed sanctions for a cyberattack on the German Bundestag in April-May 2015. Penalties were introduced against the head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, officer Dmitry Badin and the 85th Main Center of the Special Service of the General Staff. They are subject to visa bans, their property in the EU is subject to freezing.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

EU sanctions for the poisoning of Navalny

On October 15, 2020, the EU and the UK imposed sanctions for the poisoning of Navalny against Kremlin administration officials Andrei Yarin and Sergei Kiriyenko, Putin’s plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District Sergei Menyailo, head of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov, Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko and Pavel Popov. Sanctions were also imposed against the institute where a substance from the Novichok group could be produced.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

The second package of sanctions for the Skripal poisoning

On August 26, 2019, the United States introduced the second package of sanctions for the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Washington has banned its banks from participating in the initial sale of sovereign debt not in rubles and providing non-ruble loans to Moscow. The restrictions also affected the licensing of the export of goods and technologies controlled by the US Department of Commerce as part of the fight against the proliferation of chemical weapons.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

The first sanctions in the history of the European Union for the use of chemical weapons

On January 21, 2019, the EU introduced sanctions for the use of chemical weapons for the first time. The list includes the Russians involved in the poisoning of the former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the Novichok nerve agent: Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Igor Kostyukov, his first deputy Vladimir Alekseev, as well as the alleged perpetrators, GRU officers Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

The first package of sanctions for the Skripal poisoning

On August 27, 2018, new US sanctions for Russia’s use of chemical weapons came into force. These penalties include a ban on the sale of weapons and other defense products to Russia, a denial of access to American goods and technologies that are particularly important from a national security standpoint, as well as the provision of US government loans, loan guarantees and other financial support.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

US punished oligarchs for Moscow’s interference in elections

In April 2018, the US Treasury Department struck for the first time on Russian private companies. He imposed sanctions on 24 Russian businessmen from the previously published “Kremlin report”. Among them were such influential oligarchs as Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg. The assets of their companies in the United States are frozen, and the Americans are prohibited from doing business with them.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

US sanctions against security officials

In December 2016, the United States imposed sanctions in connection with possible cyberattacks by Russian hackers during the American election campaign. This time, the General Intelligence Directorate and the Federal Security Service were blacklisted.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

MIC at gunpoint

Sanctions in the military-industrial complex include a ban imposed by the European Union on arms trade with Russia in the summer of 2014 and a ban on the export of dual-use goods to Russia for the defense sector. The United States, in turn, introduced penalties against 11 manufacturers of electronics that can be used for the needs of the military industry. The reason for the imposition of sanctions was the conflict in Donbass and the annexation of Crimea.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

Russian oil industry under sanctions

Both the United States and the EU imposed sanctions on the Russian oil industry in 2014, limiting the work of their companies in the Russian Arctic. Brussels also banned the supply of high-tech equipment for the oil sector to the Russian Federation in response to the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

EU introduced restrictive measures against sectors of the Russian economy

On July 31, 2014, the EU imposed sectoral sanctions in response to the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. They covered the five largest Russian banks – Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Rosselkhozbank and VEB, which had limited access to the EU capital markets. Later, Brussels imposed the same restrictions on three oil companies – Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft – and three defense enterprises.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

Sectoral sanctions in connection with the events in Ukraine

On July 16, 2014, the United States imposed sanctions against Rosneft and Novatek, as well as Gazprombank and VEB. They cannot receive US debt financing for more than 90 days. Transactions with VEB and Gazprombank are prohibited. Subsequently, the Bank of Moscow, VTB, Rosselkhozbank and the United Shipbuilding Corporation were added to this list.

What are the US and EU sanctions against Russia

Entry ban and asset freeze

In March 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the United States and the EU imposed sanctions on Russian officials and State Duma deputies. They were denied entry and their American and European assets were frozen. The sanctions lists, which were subsequently expanded several times, included the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, deputy Leonid Slutsky and adviser to the Russian president Sergei Glazyev.

Author: Irina Filatova, Vitaly Kropman