Sanctions swing toward Putin himself as Ukraine anger grows

Russian President Vladimir Putin is the latest target of international sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, with the United States, Canada and European allies all announcing they are adding direct measures against him and his foreign minister.

With Russian forces on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital early Saturday, diplomatic appeals appeared to come second to imposing financial pain on Russia as global condemnation grew.

Asked if U.S. President Joe Biden has planned any more direct diplomatic overtures toward Putin, White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday told reporters he hadn’t, but “it does not mean we have ruled out diplomacy forever.”

Psaki said the U.S. was preparing individual sanctions on Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, likely to include travel bans. The announcement came hours after the European Union announced it intended to freeze Putin’s assets, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told NATO leaders his country would sanction Putin and Lavrov.

Psaki said the U.S. would also newly sanction the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which functions as a sovereign wealth fund meant to draw capital into the Russian economy. The U.S. and European allies earlier announced sweeping asset freezes and other penalties against Russia’s banks, state-owned enterprises and elites.