The Biden administration put economic and political sanctions on hundreds of people and businesses on Tuesday. These people and businesses are from Russia, China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. is targeting third-country donors who are helping Russia invade Ukraine.
The most recent set of sanctions came down at the same time that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Washington to ask for more money to help his country fight the Russian attack, which will be going on for a third year in February.
The fines have made Russia the most heavily punished country in the world, but they haven’t really hurt the country’s economy yet.
The set of penalties released on Tuesday is aimed at a multinational weapons procurement network run by Chinese national Hu Xiaoxun, his private defense company Jarvis HK Co. in China, and a group of people who work together to sell Russian weapons and parts made in China.
An Associated Press reporter asked Jarvis for a comment, but they didn’t reply right away.
A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, spoke out against Washington’s latest move. He said, “China has strongly opposed such unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction by the U.S.”
“The U.S. should right away admit what it did was wrong and stop limiting and stifling Chinese businesses.” “China will also do what it takes to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses,” Mao told reporters at a daily briefing on Wednesday.
Economic penalties are also aimed at a group of companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Maldives that are involved in making weapons.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, “The Kremlin has slowly turned Russia into a wartime economy. But Putin’s war machine can’t live on domestic production alone.“
“Today’s sanctions make it harder for willing third-country suppliers and networks to give Russia the things it needs to build up and keep up its military-industrial base.”
The State Department is also sanctioning three companies that are working on the development of Russia’s Ust-Luga Liquified Natural Gas terminal. This terminal is still being built and will be run by Gazprom, a Russian company owned mostly by the Russian government, and RusGazDobych, a Russian company also owned by the Russian government.
And the U.S. and its partners “are united in our continued support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal war,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
“We will keep using all the tools we have to hold Russia and those who fund and support Russia’s war machine responsible for their crimes in Ukraine.”
People and businesses that are targeted by the penalties can’t do business with Americans or get into U.S. property or bank accounts.