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- Sanctions target Russia鈥檚 military industrial base and evasion schemes
- Congressional approval required to lift some sanctions on critical Russian entities
- China-based entities, Kyrgyzstan financial institution among targets
WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday imposed hundreds of sanctions targeting Russia, seeking to increase pressure on Moscow in the Biden administration鈥檚 final days and protect some sanctions previously imposed.
The US State and Treasury departments imposed sanctions on over 250 targets, including some based in China, taking aim at Russia鈥檚 evasion of US sanctions and its military industrial base.
As part of the action, the Treasury imposed new curbs on almost 100 entities that were already under sanctions, potentially complicating any future efforts to remove the measures.
Russia鈥檚 embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Treasury in a statement said Washington was imposing fresh sanctions on almost 100 critical Russian entities 鈥� including Russian banks and companies operating in Russia鈥檚 energy sector 鈥� that were previously sanctioned by the United States. It said the move increases secondary sanctions risk for them.
The new sanctions are issued under an executive order that a senior Treasury official said requires Congress to be notified before any of the actions can be reversed.
Jeremy Paner, a partner at the law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, said the actions are 鈥淭rump-proofed,鈥� preventing reversal of the additional sanctions without congressional approval.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just with the stroke of a pen remove what鈥檚 being done,鈥� he said.
Edward Fishman, a former US official who is now a research scholar at Columbia University, called it a 鈥渧ery significant action.鈥�
鈥淚t protects these sanctions against sort of any frivolous decision to lift them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gives the new Trump administration more leverage with Russia.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was unclear how Donald Trump, who succeeds President Joe Biden on Monday, will approach the issue of sanctions on Russia. Trump has been friendly toward Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and said on Monday that he would aim to meet quickly with him to discuss Ukraine.
When asked about his strategy to end the war, Trump told Newsmax: 鈥淲ell, there鈥檚 only one strategy and it鈥檚 up to Putin and I can鈥檛 imagine he鈥檚 too thrilled about the way it鈥檚 gone because it hasn鈥檛 gone exactly well for him either.鈥�
Sanctions evasion scheme
Washington also took action against a sanctions evasion scheme established between actors in Russia and China, targeting regional clearing platforms in the two countries that it said have been working to allow cross-border payments for sensitive goods. The Treasury said several Russian banks under US sanctions were participants.
鈥淐hina firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and 鈥榣ong-arm jurisdiction鈥�,鈥� Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in a statement.
鈥淭he normal economic and trade exchanges between China and Russia should not be interfered with or disrupted, and should not be used as a tool to smear and contain China.鈥�
Also hit with sanctions on Wednesday was Keremet Bank, a Kyrgyzstan-based financial institution the Treasury accused of coordinating with Russian officials and a bank identified by the United States as circumventing sanctions.
Keremet Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US State Department also imposed sanctions on Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
The plant, located in Ukraine鈥檚 south east, was captured by Russia shortly after it launched the invasion in 2022. It is shut down but needs external power to keep its nuclear material cool and prevent a meltdown.
The sanctions will not affect its operations, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday, citing the plant鈥檚 spokeswoman.
The Biden administration has imposed rafts of punitive measures targeting Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has killed or wounded thousands and reduced cities to rubble. Washington has repeatedly sought to counter the evasion of its measures.
Less than a week ago, the administration imposed its broadest package of sanctions so far targeting Russia鈥檚 oil and gas revenues in an effort to give Kyiv and Trump鈥檚 incoming team leverage to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine.