The US administration has prepared sanctions against Russia, prohibiting US banks from processing transactions for large Russian banks. On Monday, February 21, the agency reports Reuters with reference to sources.
It is noted that this is a preliminary package of sanctions that will be activated in the event of a “Russian invasion” of Ukraine. Russia categorically rejects such plans.
According to Reuters, the measures are aimed at harming the Russian economy. In addition, sanctions may be used against certain Russian individuals and companies. They will be blacklisted, which will exclude them from the US banking system.
Earlier, on February 20, the head of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, called sanctions the most powerful leverage on Russia in the event of its possible “invasion” of Ukraine.
Also on that day, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said that Austria could impose strong sanctions against Russia if it “invaded” Ukraine. According to him, such measures could have a negative impact on Austria. However, the head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry believes that we are talking about the European security architecture.
In addition, on this day, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the Munich Security Conference said that the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions in the event of an escalation of the conflict near the borders of Ukraine would negatively affect the EU countries. The restrictions that the EU is developing on Russia include measures on energy, high technology and access to financial markets.
On February 18, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that the European Union was preparing a package of sanctions for Russia “more powerful” than in 2014. Measures will be applied if the Russian Federation shows aggression against Ukraine.
Two days earlier, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that sanctions against Moscow in the event of an invasion of Ukraine would have “global consequences.”
On February 14, the G7 countries also expressed their readiness to impose sanctions against Russia against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, which will have large-scale and immediate consequences for the Russian economy.
In recent months, articles in the Western media have repeatedly appeared about the alleged possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Against this background, American lawmakers are calling for tougher sanctions against Moscow. Russia has repeatedly rejected reports of an allegedly possible invasion of a neighboring country.
In recent days, the situation on the line of resistance in the Donbass has escalated significantly. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including heavy weapons. A general mobilization and evacuation of the civilian population in the Russian Federation has been announced. The Russian side continues to emphasize that the de-escalation in Donbas does not depend on its actions.
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