U.S. sanctions, expels Russians
Restrictions on US banks trading in Russian government debt.
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States announced sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats Thursday in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin’s US election interference, a massive cyberattack and other hostile activity.
President Joe Biden’s broadside against Russia came the same week as he offered to meet President Vladimir Putin for their first summit — an idea he reiterated in a speech Thursday, explaining that despite the sanctions it was now “time to deescalate.”
Washington is “not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia,” Biden said, calling the sanctions “proportionate.”
In his executive order, the Democratic president widened restrictions on US banks trading in Russian government debt, expelled 10 diplomats who include alleged spies, and sanctioned 32 individuals accused of meddling in the 2020 presidential election.
The Kremlin said Thursday that sanctions would not “help” momentum for a summit and the Russian foreign ministry warned a Russian riposte was “inevitable.”
The sanctions are designed to hurt Russia’s economy by making it harder to raise money on international markets.
Sanctions would not help momentum for a summit.
Starting 14 June, US banks will be barred from buying government bonds directly from the Russian central bank, the finance ministry or sovereign wealth fund.
The White House statement explaining its actions listed in first place Moscow’s “efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners.”
This referred to allegations that Russian intelligence agencies mounted persistent disinformation and dirty tricks campaigns during the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, in part to help Trump’s candidacies.
The White House said the sanctions likewise respond to “malicious cyber activities against the United States and its allies,” referring to the massive so-called SolarWinds hack of US government computer systems last year.
For the first time, the US government named the Russian foreign intelligence service, the SVR, as the organizer of the attack. The SVR called the accusation “nonsense.”