*
Sanctions part of coordinated U.S. and global moves
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Those involved in Russian mining and metals can be
targeted
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More than a dozen Russian banks isolated
(New throughout, adds quotes from Deputy Treasury Secretary
Adeyemo)
By Andrea Shalal and Jonathan Landay
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury
Department on Friday slapped new sanctions on Russian banks and
targeted its mining and metals sector, while going after over 30
people and companies from Switzerland, Germany and the Middle
East for helping Moscow evade earlier sanctions and keep funding
its war against Ukraine.
The new measures, announced on the first anniversary of
Russia's invasion, hit over 250 individuals and entities, adding
to more than 2,500 sanctions imposed over the past year. The
action would further isolate Russia from the global economy,
Treasury said in a statement.
The new sanctions were coordinated with other U.S. agencies,
U.S. allies and the Group of Seven rich nations to limit
Russia's ability to wage the war that has killed tens of
thousands, and uprooted millions of Ukrainians.
"What we're doing today is furthering the vice around the
Kremlin's ability to fight its war in Ukraine," Deputy Treasury
Secretary Wally Adeyemo told CNBC. He said the U.S. government
was sending a clear signal to the world: "If you support Russia,
you're going to face being cut off from the economies, not just
of the United States, but of our allies and partners."
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen underscored America's
deep commitment to continue piling pressure on Russia and
supporting Ukraine. "Our actions today with our G7 partners show
that we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," she
said.
Treasury said the latest measures were aimed at impeding
Russian President Vladimir Putin's ability to raise capital to
fund the war by targeting banks, wealth management-related firms
and individuals in Russia's financial services sector.
The action, which freezes any U.S. assets of those targeted
and generally bars Americans from dealing with them, marks the
latest round of U.S. sanctions on Russia.
"We're not going to stop using every tool available to us to
disrupt Russia's ability to wage its war," White House national
security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, adding that
further sanctions were possible if needed. "We're just going to
keep at this, and so are our allies and partners.
METALS AND MINING In a significant widening of Russia-related sanctions, Treasury announced a new determination by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that allows sanctions on any individual or entity operating in Russia's metals and mining sector. On Friday, it hit four mining and metals sector companies, including TPZ-Rondol, a unit of Russia's largest ammunition maker, for producing weapons for the Russian military, including the navy, the Treasury said. Among other entities hit on Friday were more than a dozen Russian banks. They included the Moscow-based Credit Bank of Moscow Joint Public Stock Company, Russia's largest non-state public bank, which the European Union fully blocked in December. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a license setting a deadline of 12:01 a.m. on May 25 for the winding down of transactions with some of the entities, the statement said. Another bank hit was MTS Bank, which is located in Moscow and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Brian Nelson, Treasury's top sanctions official raised concerns about UAE's decision to license the Russian bank during a visit to the country the week of Jan. 30. Other new targets included Walter Moretti, a Swiss-Italian business executive and a network of companies involved in secretly purchasing sensitive Western technology for Russian intelligence services and the military, Treasury said. A German, an Italian, a Swiss Italian and four Swiss who worked with Moretti also were sanctioned, it said. Treasury also sanctioned the founders of Russian wealth-management firm Confideri Pte Ltd, Russian-Israeli citizens Olga Borisovna Raykes and Marat Maratovich Savelov, who also own a firm in Vienna, Austria. Also sanctioned were more Russian firms involved in providing technology and materials to Russian intelligence agencies and the military, including UMATEX Joint-Stock Company, which produces carbon fibers used in aircraft and rockets. The firms also included some that Treasury said provided Russian intelligence with support for "malign influence operations" and databases containing the personal information of Western nationals. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Philippa Fletcher and David Gregorio)
