The Biden Administration on Thursday announced it would be imposing new sanctions against Russia on Friday, exactly one year after its invasion of Ukraine.
“The United States will implement sweeping sanctions against key sectors that generate revenue for Putin, go after more Russian banks, Russia’s defense and technology industry and actors in third-party countries that are attempting to backfill and evade our sanctions,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Thursday’s daily briefing.
Further, Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said on Thursday that the sanctions package would include targeting Chinese companies that the Biden Administration says are violating export bans against Moscow.
Along with sanctions against Russia, Nuland said during a Washington Post live event, “We will also be putting other constraints on entities, Chinese-based or Chinese subs of entities in Europe, which we think are active in evading sanctions.”
Nuland’s revelation came one day after China’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where the two pledged to strengthen economic ties as Russia continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
Though China is officially “neutral” in the war, Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted on Sunday, “We have information that gives us concern that [the Chinese] are considering providing lethal support to Russia in the war against Ukraine.”
Independent analysis has found that Russia is using third-countries to access foreign commodities that they were banned from importing related to sanctions imposed since February 24.
Many of these imports, which include laptops, smartphones, dishwashers, washing machines and cars, contain advanced semiconductor chips that the U.S. warns could be diverted towards Russian military manufacturing.
“This is not about helping the Russian people or the Russian economy. It’s about the war machine. So we will clamp down on that evasion starting tomorrow,” said Nuland.
During the daily White House briefing, Jean-Peirre also stated that the U.S. would be announcing new economic energy and security assistance “to help the Ukrainians continue to succeed on the battlefield, protect the people from Russian aggression and enable the Ukrainian government to provide basic services, such as electricity and heat.”
She added, “As the President made clear in Europe this week, the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
