The UK has announced new sanctions targeting Putin’s war machine in Ukraine

The announcement came as Foreign Secretary David Cameron made his first visit to Washington.

The new sanctions ban UK firms from dealing with companies and individuals in countries such as Belarus, China, Serbia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

The 46 new sanctions target primarily natural and legal entities that supply and finance Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war machine, the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

They include three figures behind the Wagner network of military mercenaries and four operators of the so-called shadow fleet, which Russia uses to mitigate the effects of oil-related sanctions.

Armed groups linked to the Russian military, such as Wagner, are active in Ukraine and are accused of numerous violations of international humanitarian law.

“Today’s measures will undermine Putin’s ability to supply his military through third-party supply chains,” the British ministry said.

In Washington D. Cameron will emphasize London’s strong support for Ukraine and the importance of UK-US relations.

The visit will also discuss the war between Israel and Hamas.

“The UK and the US are strongly bound by a common mission to defend the values ​​that ensure security and prosperity for us all,” Cameron said ahead of the visit. “That’s why we continue to strongly support Ukraine.”

“We are also united [dėl] of the Middle East, together we aim to ensure long-term security and stability in the region, to respond to the challenges posed by China,” he added.

Mr Cameron will meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and figures in Congress from both the left and the right.

They will discuss the delivery of humanitarian aid to people affected by the war in the Gaza Strip, and talk about how both countries could work toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Cameron’s office said.

Cameron, who was the UK’s Conservative prime minister from 2010 to 2016, became Britain’s foreign minister on November 13 after current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his cabinet.