U.S. Sanctions Russia
On Thursday, the United States imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia. The sanctions come after Russia’s top intelligence organization was blamed for a complex cyberattack that compromised American government institutions and the country’s most prominent businesses. Additionally, Russia is being punished for its interference in last year’s U.S. presidential election and for its dealings in Ukraine.
The wide variety of sanctions aim to make it more difficult for Russia to participate in the global economy if the country continues to be troublesome in cyberspace and on the borders of Ukraine. The U.S. government put Russian companies on a blacklist, kicked Russian diplomats out of the country, and prohibited U.S. banks from purchasing sovereign bonds issued by Russia’s central bank, national wealth fund, and Finance Ministry.
Though the sanctions are unlikely to be severe right away, White House officials say they have left space to limit Moscow’s ability to borrow money on global markets if tensions rise. President Biden has suggested that the U.S. is attempting to balance limiting what the White House perceives as aggressive Russian action while simultaneously avoiding a further breakdown of US-Russian relations.
In a phone call Tuesday, President Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the incoming sanctions. While discussing the phone call and the sanctions, President Biden said, “I chose to be proportionate. The United States is not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship.”
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