Biden announces additional sanctions on Russia

‘Putin is the aggressor. He chose this war’, says the U.S. President

U.S. President Joe Biden announced additional sanctions on Russian entities and individuals hours after Russia began an assault on Ukraine.

“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Mr. Biden said during a televised address to the nation from the East Room of the White House on Thursday afternoon.

Also read: ‘In consultation with India’ on Russia, says Joe Biden

“Today, I’m authorising additional strong sanctions and new limitations on what can be exported to Russia,” he said. The sanctions were designed to have maximum long-term impact on Russia while minimising the impact on the U.S. and its allies, according to the President.

The sanctioned entities include VTB, SberBank, Bank Otkritie, Sovcombank OJSC, and Novikombank. The U.S. and its allies also placed restrictions on transactions of 13 major state-owned enterprises in Russia. Sanctions also extended to several Russian elites and their family members as well as 24 Belarusian individuals.

Sanctions would also apply to Russia’s import of sensitive technology – targeting its defence, aviation and maritime sectors, a statement from the White House said.

Mr. Biden said the U.S. was not imposing sanctions allow but in concert with the 27 European Union countries, the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and “many others.” He said that his administration was still in consultation with India.