https://sputniknews.com-Svetlana Ekimenko-© AP Photo / Patrick Semansky
Despite Moscow repeatedly offering assurances that it has no plans of occupying Ukrainian territory in the course of its ongoing special operation to demilitarise and “denazify” Ukraine, many foreign countries have rushed to accuse it of invading the neighbouring country and violating its territorial integrity, slapping the Kremlin with sanctions.
The US Treasury has prohibited transactions with Russia’s Central Bank, imposing sanctions on key sources of Russia’s wealth.
The measures are intended, according to the US Treasury statement, to bar Americans from engaging in any transactions involving Russia’s Central Bank, its National Wealth Fund, or Ministry of Finance.
The United States is seeking to cut Russia’s access not only to dollars but to all vital currencies, “essential for the [Russian operation in Ukraine],”a senior US administration official was cited as saying on Monday.
The United States is also sanctioning Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, as part of its sanctions package over Moscow’s ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, according to a senior US administration official.
It was added at an online press briefing that the administration of US President Joe Biden would be issuing a general license authorizing certain energy-related transactions with Russia to mitigate fallout from the sanctions for the US and allies.
“The President made very clear that it was critical that we target our sanctions in a way that would impose cost on Russia, while mitigating those costs on American people and our allies and partners. In consistent with that, Treasury will issue general license authorizing certain energy-related transactions by exempting energy-related transaction for preventing unnecessary harm to consumers,” said the official.