US sanctions unprecedented target in Russia

The US Treasury Department said it has for the first time sanctioned a cryptocurrency mining company. Also on the list are more than 40 people and organizations led by Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev.

“Treasury can and will target people who evade, attempt to evade or assist in evading U.S. sanctions,” said Brian Nelson, US Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. towards Russia because they are helping to support President Vladimir Putin’s military campaign”.

The US Treasury Department said it has for the first time sanctioned a cryptocurrency mining company. Photo: Reuters

April 20’s move targets Russia’s cryptocurrency mining industry, believed to be the third largest in the world, sanctioning the parent company of Moscow-based Bitcoin mining company BitRiver, which operates Bitcoin mining company BitRiver. data centers in Siberia and its 10 other subsidiaries are based in Russia.

The US Treasury Department also sanctioned the Russian commercial bank Transkapitalbank. The US side said that the representative of this bank deals with a number of banks in Asia, including in China and the Middle East, and has proposed options to help Russia evade international sanctions.

Transkapitalbank’s subsidiary, Investtradebank, is also on the new sanctions list.

According to Reuters, the US also froze any assets in the US of individuals on the sanctions list, and banned Americans from doing business with these people.

However, Washington still issued two licenses related to Transkapitalbank in addition to sanctions. Specifically, the US allows parties to close transactions with this bank on May 20 and certain transactions to or originating from Afghanistan on October 20 to support efforts to resolve the crisis. humanitarian crisis.

The United States also imposed additional sanctions on Russian oligarch Malofeyev, long accused of being one of the main financial backers of Russia’s operations in Crimea. At the same time, the US State Department has also issued a visa ban for more than 650 people, mostly Russians, in addition to Ukrainian separatists and Belarusians.

US President Joe Biden. Photo: Reuters

On the same day, US President Joe Biden convened a meeting at the White House with US military leaders to discuss support for Ukraine. A spokesman for the US National Security Council said a variety of topics were discussed at the meeting.

The United States is expected to announce another package of military aid to Ukraine in the coming days that could be equivalent to last week’s $800 million package.