The United States announced this Sunday sanctions against 27 directors of the Russian bank Gazprombank and against the Russian television networks Channel One, Rossiya and NTV, as well as against the arms manufacturer Promtekhnologiya in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The White House announced those sanctions after the virtual meeting of the G7 Leaders, in which the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, intervened.
A high-ranking US official explained to the press that the sanctions against Gazprombank executives seek to give a "warning" to the entity, a banking subsidiary of the Russian state gas company Gazprom and the only channel authorized by the Kremlin for EU members to make their Russian gas payments.
However, since the sanctions are not directed against the bank itself but against its directors, European countries will be able to continue trading with Russiasaid that source.
Washington also retaliated against eight senior officials of the Sberbank entity, the most important in Russia, representing 37% of its financial system and which had already been subject to US sanctions.
As a result of the action taken today, visas are revoked that the sanctioned individuals may have to enter the country.
In total, the United States announced this Sunday similar measures against 2,600 people that he claims are part of the Russian elite or are Russian or Belarusian officials, who allegedly have helped perpetrate aggression against the sovereignty of Ukraine or have violated human rights.
On the other hand, the US government retaliated against three television networks: Channel One, Rossiya and NTV, the latter owned by the powerful communication group Gazprom-Media, itself a subsidiary of Gazprom.
The US accuses the chains of having become part of the propaganda “machine” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As a result of the sanctions, those three stations will be barred from acquiring the technology they need to make their broadcasts, from US-made cameras and microphones to sound equipment and lighting systems.
Washington also announced sanctions against Promtekhnologiya, a company that produces rifles and other weapons used by Russian troops in Ukraine, as well as seven shipping companies that own or operate 69 ships and a maritime towing company.
The sale to Russia by US companies of industrial materials that could be used for the war in Ukraine, such as bulldozers, industrial engines, fans, boilers and wood products, will also be prohibited.
In addition, the Joe Biden government decreed that US companies will not be able to provide accounting and advisory services to any Russian person or entity.
Finally, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a US government agency, will suspend the licenses that allowed the export to Russia of certain materials with uranium and plutonium.
The sanctions will come into force between today and tomorrow, Monday, the aforementioned official explained to the press.