US plans to sanction Russia oligarchs this week

The United States plans to sanction Russian oligarchs this week under a law targeting Moscow for meddling in the 2016 US election, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in what could be the most aggressive move so far against Russia’s business elite.

The action, which could affect people close to President Vladimir Putin, reflects Washington’s desire to hold Russia to account for allegedly interfering in the election — which Moscow denies — even as US President Donald Trump holds out hope for good relations with Putin.

Trump has faced fierce criticism for doing too little to punish Russia for the election meddling and other actions, and special counsel Robert Mueller is probing whether his campaign colluded with the Russians, an allegation the president denies.

The sanctions would follow the March 15 US decision to sanction 19 people and five entities, including Russian intelligence services, for cyber attacks stretching back at least two years.

While the steps were the most significant taken against Moscow since Trump took office in January 2017, his decision at the time not to target oligarchs and government officials close to Putin drew criticism from US lawmakers in both parties.

This week’s actions will include sanctions against Russian oligarchs, including some with ties to Putin as well as to the Russian government, according to two US officials briefed on the deliberations.

Four sources said the sanctions would be imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, also known as CAATSA, which was

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