On Friday, new US sanctions targeting Russia’s combat capabilities were announced as part of the efforts of the Group of Seven summit in Japan to tighten the screws on Moscow, according to a senior US official, “Agence France Presse”.
“All G-7 member states are preparing to impose new sanctions and export restrictions,” the official told reporters in Hiroshima, on condition of anonymity.
The official did not discuss the plans of the other members of the group, but together with a “basic” US package of sanctions, they will “make it difficult for Russia to maintain its war machine,” as he put it.
The official added that the US measures would aim to “significantly restrict Russia’s access to products important to its combat capabilities.”
Russia is currently suffering from unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western countries because of the war in Ukraine.
More than a year after the outbreak of the war, the United States and its G7 partners are still looking to squeeze Moscow’s main sources of income such as energy exports.
The US official revealed that about 70 entities in Russia and other countries that he did not specify will be prevented from receiving US exports. It will also impose about 300 new penalties on “individuals, entities, ships and aircraft”. The targeted entities are spread “across Europe, the Middle East and Asia”.
Aware that Russia is working hard to circumvent the sanctions, the official said the US measures would make sure “the loopholes for evasion are closed.”
In an attempt to intensify pressure on Russia’s main sources of wealth, the United States will continue to “pressure on both the financial sector, in addition to Russia’s capabilities to produce energy in the medium and long term, and most importantly, continue to paralyze its sovereign assets.”
The official noted that there was strong unity among the G7 countries during the summit.
“You will see new steps taken to isolate Russia economically and weaken its ability to wage war,” he said, adding, “There will be measures to support those principles that will be detailed in Ukraine’s statement” to be issued from the summit.
The official stressed that the US sanctions “will work to align our measures more closely with those imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom to ensure the greatest possible coordination between the G7 countries.”
