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New measures aim to prevent sanctions evasion
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Third-country companies to face export controls
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U.S. tariffs to rise on Russian metal and chemicals
(Quotes Russian ambassador directly in paragraphs 4, 10)
By Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The United States marked
the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Friday
with $2 billion in weaponry for Kyiv and new sanctions against
Russia aimed at undermining Moscow's ability to wage war.
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration unveiled the
sanctions as the Group of 7 bloc of wealthy nations and
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met to discuss more aid.
Among the steps were placing visa restrictions on Russian
military members, freezing assets of allies of President
Vladimir Putin, effectively banning aluminum imports from
Russia, curbing Russian banking and arms-making activity and
putting the country's second largest mobile phone company
Megafon on a trade blacklist.
Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United
States, said the sanctions would have no impact.
Additional measures could be imposed at a later date, U.S.
officials said.
The administration also sent a message to China and other
countries that they should not try to help Russia evade
sanctions.
"We will sanction additional actors tied to Russia's
defense and technology industry, including those responsible for
backfilling Russian stocks of sanctioned items or enabling
Russian sanctions evasion," the White House said.
The aid to Ukraine fell short of providing the F-16 fighter
jets that Kyiv has requested and some U.S. officials are raising
doubts about the ability of such measures to slow the increasing
hostilities on the battlefield ahead of an anticipated
springtime offensive.
Antonov said the new sanctions were "thoughtless" and
designed to make Russia suffer.
"Does anyone really think that this is the way to get our
country to abandon its independent policies, to force it off its
chosen path towards building a multipolar world based on the
principle of indivisible security, on international law and the
UN Charter?" a post on the embassy's Facebook page quoted him as
saying.
NEW PENALTIES
After the G7 meeting, the leaders issued a statement on
"our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes"
including with more potential sanctions.
European Union countries later overcome internal
disagreements and announced a 10th round of sanctions.
The U.S. State Department's sanctions included Russian
Cabinet ministers and dozens of governors and regional chiefs.
The U.S. Treasury Department's new measures hit 22 Russian
individuals and 83 entities, adding to more than 2,500 sanctions
imposed over the past year.
Increased U.S. tariffs will also be levied on more than 100
Russian metals, minerals and chemical products worth about $2.8
billion to Russia.
The United States also planned to announce $250 million in
aid to shore up Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the face of
Russian attacks. Ukraine's neighbor Moldova will get $300
million to help wean itself from energy dependence on Russia.
Prosecutors announced steps to charge a Russian national
with illegally exporting counterintelligence equipment and to
seize the Park Avenue, New York, apartment and other property
worth $75 million belonging to Putin associate Viktor
Vekselberg, whom Washington imposed sanctions on most recently
in 2022.
While multiple rounds of Western sanctions have damaged
the Russian economy, Putin can still fund his war. That has
prompted officials to focus increasingly on third parties that
are helping Russia dodge the sanctions.
Treasury included penalties on more than 30 people and
companies from Switzerland, Germany and other nations for
helping Moscow finance its war against Ukraine.
The Commerce Department, meanwhile, is imposing export
curbs on nearly 90 Russian and third-country companies,
including in China, for engaging in sanctions evasion in support
of Russia's defense sector and prohibit them from buying items
like semiconductors. And they are working to prevent components
found in Iranian drones from making their way to the Ukraine
battlefield, officials said.
Washington has warned, without producing evidence, that
China is considering providing weapons to Russia. China has said
more weapons would worsen the conflict.
The Biden administration has committed more than $32
billion in military aid over the past year to Ukraine, including
8,500 Javelin anti-armor systems and 38 High Mobility Artillery
Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and a number of different types of
drones, according to the Defense Department.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Reuters World News Podcast Special anniversary episode: The
Ukraine war ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting By Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Andrea Shalal,
Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Karen
Freifeld in Washington, Luc Cohen in New York, David Ljunggren
in Ottawa and Elaine Monaghan in Bloomington, IN; Editing by
Trevor Hunnicutt, Grant McCool and Kim Coghill)
