U.S. Targets Russia's War Machine With Punitive Actions

The United States outlined comprehensive punitive measures on Tuesday (Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in Manila) targeting what it dubbed "Russia's war machine" for its invasion of Ukraine, according to Darryl Coote of United Press International (UPI).

Photo Insert: "Broad multilateral commitments and actions by G7 members this week further cut off the Russian Federation's access to technology that is critical to their military," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The US Departments of Treasury and State blacklisted dozens of defense-related industries, Russian military units, hundreds of Russian military officers, Russian gold exports, and defense firm Rostec, as well as its key holdings, affiliated entities, board of directors, and family members, on Tuesday.

The new sanctions are the most severe the US has imposed on Russia since its president, Vladimir Putin, declared war on his Eastern European neighbor on February 24, eliciting outrage from the democratic world.

They also come after President Joe Biden returned from Germany, where he committed, along with other G7 leaders, to continue to back Ukraine in its battle.

The Treasury stated in a statement Tuesday that it sanctioned 70 firms, many of which it described as essential to Russia's defense industrial foundation, including State Corporation Rostec, the backbone of Russia's defense, industrial, technology, and manufacturing sectors.

"Broad multilateral commitments and actions by G7 members this week further cut off the Russian Federation's access to technology that is critical to their military," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

"Targeting Russia's defense industry will degrade Putin's capabilities and further impede his war against Ukraine, which has already been plagued by poor morale, broken supply chains and logistical failures."

The Treasury also announced an impending ban on the importation of gold from Russia into the United States. Britain had earlier declared that the United States, Britain, Canada, and Japan had decided to cut off imports of Moscow's main non-energy revenue stream at roughly $15.47 billion last year.

In a coordinated move, the State Department designated 45 defense-related entities as part of Russia's "appalling campaign of violence against the people of Ukraine." In addition to Rostec, the State Department designated 19 of its board of directors, as well as nine of their spouses and adult children.

It also said it was designating Uzbekistan-based Promcomplektlogistic Private Company for supporting Radioavtomatika, an entity that specializes in procuring foreign items for Russia's defense industry and which was sanctioned in an earlier sweeping round of punitive measures in March.

Biden issued a proclamation to raise tariffs on more than 570 groups of Russian products valued at about $2.3 billion to Moscow's economy.

"Targeting enablers of President Putin's war impedes Russia's present and future war effort," State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a statement. The US and its allies have repeatedly imposed punitive measures against Russia over its war, which have seemingly been taking a toll on its economy as Moscow defaulted on its international debt for the first time in a century on Monday.

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