2023-05-19 17:52:44
War in Ukraine
In retaliation for new sanctions, Obama is banned from entering Russia
Washington announced new measures against Moscow on Friday. A few hours later, the Kremlin retorted by closing its territory to 500 Americans, including the ex-president.
Posted
Barack Obama can no longer travel to Russia after the Biden administration decided to increase sanctions against Moscow.
Moscow on Friday banned the entry into its territory of 500 Americans, including former President Barack Obama, in retaliation for new American sanctions against Russia announced in parallel with the G7 summit in Japan. These sanctions hit Moscow in all sectors and aim to deprive the Russians of support in the war in Ukraine.
“In response to the anti-Russian sanctions, regularly imposed by the Biden administration (…) entry into the Russian Federation is closed to 500 Americans”, indicated the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifying that former President Obama was on this list.
This reaction follows by a few hours the announcement of new measures against Moscow placing “more than 300” people, companies, ships and planes, across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, on the blacklist of the United States. United States, according to statements from the US Treasury Department and State Department.
The energy and financial sectors in the line of sight
US sanctions ban exports to 70 entities in Russia and other countries. Washington also promises to weigh on the Russian financial sector as well as on Russia’s ability to produce energy in the medium and long term, according to the press releases. In the energy sector, the United States strikes 18 entities including in shipbuilding and energy research and exploration in the Russian Arctic.
The new measures include restrictions on exports of essential battlefield goods for Russia, such as components used in the manufacture of Russian Orlan reconnaissance drones. They also target networks in India, Finland, Estonia, Liechtenstein and the Netherlands.
The United States is also attacking “the increasingly close ties between Russia and Iran”, for example sanctioning the shipping company Khazar Sea Shipping Lines (KSSL). According to Washington, the KSSL has made 60 visits to Russian ports over the past year.
Strangle economically
The US sanctions have the effect of freezing any assets in the United States and in principle prohibit any person or company from conducting commercial exchanges with the designated entities.
The West has piled unprecedented sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, to strangle it economically – notably by drying up its hydrocarbon revenues – and disrupt its defense industry.
(AFP)
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