By Dmitry Antonov and Polina Nikolskaya
MOSCOW/DONETSK (Reuters) – The United States and its allies unveiled further sanctions against Russia on Wednesday over Moscow’s recognition of two breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine, while making it clear they are maintaining tighter measures. hard in reserve in the event of a full-scale invasion by the Russians.
The European Union sanctions taking effect on Wednesday will add to a blacklist all members of the lower house of the Russian parliament who voted to recognize Ukraine’s breakaway regions, freezing their assets and banning travel.
The UK followed the US in announcing new restrictions banning Russia from issuing new bonds in its markets.
The measures follow actions announced on Tuesday, including freezing Germany’s approval of a new Russian gas pipeline and imposing new US sanctions on Russian banks.
But none of the measures announced so far directly target Russian President Vladimir Putin or are expected to have serious medium-term consequences for Moscow, which has more than $630 billion in international reserves.
Oil prices fell from Tuesday’s seven-year highs as it became clear that the first wave of sanctions was unlikely to affect supplies of the commodity.
Western countries fear Russia is planning an all-out invasion of Ukraine after Putin announced on Monday that he was recognizing two small regions controlled since 2014 by separatists seen by the West as representing Moscow. Putin also signed a decree allowing Russian forces to be sent there.
Washington described Russia’s actions as the start of an “invasion”, but as the mass military attack they predicted failed to materialize, they had to calibrate their response.
“There will be even tougher sanctions on key oligarchs, on key organizations in Russia, limiting Russia’s access to financial markets, if there is a full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” said British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
She announced plans to prevent Russia from issuing new foreign debt in London, a move taken years ago by the United States. Moscow said it would respond by issuing any new debt locally in rubles for now.
Some Western leaders have faced criticism at home for their response so far. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was derided in Parliament when he announced the blacklist of three billionaires who had been under US sanctions for years and five shady banks. Leaders say the most serious sanctions need to be kept in reserve to prevent a larger attack.
EMERGENCY STATE
Putin has about 190,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, according to US estimates.
More ominous signs pointed to a possible war: Moscow announced that it had begun to withdraw its diplomats from Kiev, while Ukraine declared a 30-day state of emergency and announced the recruitment of men of fighting age.
The Ukrainian army said one soldier was killed and six wounded in increased shelling by pro-Russian separatists using heavy artillery, mortars and Grad rocket systems in the two separatist areas in the past 24 hours.
New satellite images showed several new troops and equipment in western Russia and more than 100 vehicles at a small airfield in southern Belarus, which borders Ukraine, according to US company Maxar.
know more
+ Omicron: Unexpected symptom of infection in children worries medical teams
+ Mercadão de SP vendors threaten customers with fruit scam
+ Video: Mother is attacked on social media for wearing tight clothes to take her son to school
+ Horoscope: check today’s forecast for your sign
+ What is known about fluorone?
+ Trick to squeeze lemons becomes a craze on social media
+ ‘Monster Ichthyosaur’ is discovered in Colombia
+ One twin became vegan, the other ate meat. Check the result
+ See which were the most stolen cars in SP in 2021
+ Expedition identifies giant squid responsible for ship sinking in 2011
+ US Agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
#allies #announce #sanctions #Russia #reserve #tougher #actions