New sanctions have been implemented by the US against Russian companies and individuals. More than 120 persons and firms have been targeted, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also stated that America will continue to take measures “against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine.”
The penalties target Russian telecoms firms, but Blinken made it clear that other nations are also under consideration. The businessman Alisher Usmanov of Uzbekistan is identified as the main target. He has a “wide network of businesses through which to conduct financial transactions, enabling him to potentially circumvent sanctions,” according to the Treasury Department.
Also mentioned is the Russian telecommunications firm MegaFon, controlled by USM. Its spokesperson stated, “We are a commercial company providing millions of clients with services of high social significance. We will dispute these restrictions by all means available to us.”
Sanctions are being imposed for the first time on communications.
The sanctions will be added to the ones Moscow already faced last year. In September, the US imposed sanctions on 278 members of the Russian parliament, while the European Union prohibited the sale of high-tech goods as well as purchases from Russia.
Russian companies were prohibited from borrowing money by US and UK banks, and the amount of deposits that Russian nationals could make in British banks was constrained.
The sanctions won’t matter, according to the Russian ambassador to the US.
The US has provided more over $50 billion in aid to the Ukrainian cause since Russia invaded their country in February 2022. About $35 billion was provided by the European Commission. Concern over the amount given to Ukraine amid a crisis in the cost of living has arisen in Europe.
Republicans in America, according to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, would no longer accept writing a “blank check” for Ukraine as Americans struggle to make ends meet.
His remarks revealed a gap in the GOP’s response. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas added, “We’ve got to give them what they need. When we give them what they need, they win.”
