Original title: U.S. and European heightened sanctions once morest Russia involve banks, energy industry and sovereign debt Source: Reference News Network
Reference News Network reported on February 1 According to the TASS news agency in New York on January 30, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Menendez told CNN that the drafting of the Senate’s bill to sanction Russia’s “aggression” in Ukraine is nearing completion.
The Democrat from New Jersey said: “We are at the finish line and hope the job gets done. There is incredible determination on both parties (Republicans and Democrats) to get this done, once the Russian Federation launches once morest Ukraine. ‘Aggression’ with serious consequences.”
He added that this involved sanctions on Russia’s largest banks, as well as increased arms supplies to Ukraine, sanctions on Russia’s energy industry and Russia’s sovereign debt.
Earlier, people in the U.S. House of Representatives told CNN that a vote on the Russia sanctions bill may take place in the next week.
Menendez announced that due to changes in the situation in Ukraine, the sanctions once morest Russia discussed by the Senate may be implemented before Russia plans to “invasion”, “Some sanctions may be implemented earlier, targeting Russia’s already completed actions, such as ‘imposing sanctions on Ukraine’. ‘ cyberattacks’, actions under the guise of ‘other flags’, attempts to undermine the Ukrainian regime from within Ukraine. But the truly devastating sanctions that can destroy the Russian economy…will come when Russia starts ‘aggression’.”
However, the report said that the White House had previously expressed its opposition to the use of sanctions before Russia “invaded” Ukraine, believing that doing so would lose its containment effect.
According to reports, Democrats led by Menendez have submitted to the Senate the “Defending Ukraine’s Sovereignty Act of 2022”, which includes sanctions on the Russian president, prime minister, foreign minister, defense minister, chief of the armed forces general staff and other top military leaders .
In addition, the second line of the Beixi natural gas pipeline may also encounter restrictions.
According to a report on the website of the Russian “Independence” on January 31, the United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on the theme of Ukraine on January 31 under the proposal of the United States. Obviously, it is impossible to pass a resolution at the meeting condemning Russia’s build-up of 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia has a veto power.
But U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed in a statement the importance of convening the Security Council meeting. She did not hide the purpose of the United States – not to pass anti-Russian resolutions, but to show the position that no one in the world supports Russia.
In addition, according to a TASS report in Brussels on January 30, Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, wrote in his blog that the EU is formulating new measures to sanction Russia, which may prevent Russia from obtaining the necessary resources to realize its strategic ambitions. Required item.
Borrell noted: “Within the framework of the containment (Russia’s) work, we have made progress in developing retaliatory measures. These measures will cause serious damage to the Russian economy and financial system. We are also studying export control measures in this area, and later This might limit Russia’s access to commodities necessary to achieve its strategic ambitions and have long-term effects.”
Borrell also said the EU regretted Russia’s decision to expand the list of EU personnel banned from entering Russia and promised to retaliate. “The lack of legal basis and transparency in this decision will lead to a corresponding reaction (from the EU),” he wrote.
In recent weeks, the European Union has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia in the event of Russia’s “invasion of Ukraine,” the report said. EU leaders have repeatedly said that Brussels has moved to develop sanctions once morest Russia.
According to a report by TASS in London on January 30, British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss said in an interview with Sky News on January 30 that due to the situation in Ukraine, the British authorities will expand sanctions once morest Russia in the near future.
“We will propose measures to improve sanctions laws next week… At the moment, we can only sanction those who are directly involved in destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. We are ready to expand the list[of sanctioned persons]in order to sanction all representatives of the Kremlin,” Truss said. companies in the interests of the Palace and the Russian authorities.”
Truss declined to give details of the new sanctions. “Any possibility is not ruled out,” she said in response to a question regarding what measures the UK might take once morest big Russian businessmen living in London.