(CLO) The Biden administration has just imposed hundreds of new sanctions to increase pressure on Russia, while reinforcing previously implemented measures.
The US State Department and Treasury Department have announced sanctions against more than 250 entities, including several based in China, aimed at preventing Russia from evading sanctions and undermining its defense industry.
The spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the US, Mr. Liu Bang Vu, voiced his objection: "China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and cross-border jurisdiction."
"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," he added.
American flag and Russian flag. Illustration: AI
Notably, nearly 100 Russian entities in the banking and energy sectors – which were already subject to sanctions – were further restricted. This increases the risk of secondary sanctions on these organizations and complicates future sanctions relief.
The new sanctions were implemented under an executive order that requires congressional approval before any measures can be lifted, according to the US Treasury Department.
“These measures are designed to be irreversible, even if Trump takes office,” said Jeremy Paner, a lawyer at Hughes Hubbard & Reed. “They can’t be overturned with a single signature.”
Edward Fishman, a former US State Department official and now a researcher at Columbia University, said this was a very important move: "These sanctions are protected from rash decisions about lifting them. This gives the Trump administration more leverage in negotiating with Russia."
Additionally, Kyrgyzstan-based Keremet Bank was sanctioned for working with Russian officials and a bank listed by the US as deliberately evading sanctions.
The US State Department also imposed sanctions on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which is currently controlled by Russia. However, Russian news agencies quoted a plant spokesman as saying that the sanctions would not affect the plant’s operations.
Less than a week ago, the Biden administration rolled out its largest package of sanctions to date, focusing on Russia’s oil and gas revenues, a move seen as a move to support Ukraine and give the Trump administration more leverage in peace negotiations.
It remains unclear how Trump will approach sanctions against Russia after taking office. In the past, he has shown a friendly attitude towards Russian President Vladimir Putin. Recently, Trump announced that he would soon meet with Putin to discuss the conflict in Ukraine.
Asked about his strategy for ending the war, Mr Trump told Newsmax: "There's only one strategy, and it's up to Putin. I don't think he's happy with the way things are going, because it's not easy for him either."
Cao Phong (according to Bloomberg, Lemonde, Newsmax)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/trung-quoc-chi-trich-lenh-cam-van-moi-cua-my-doi-voi-nga-post330634.html
Comment (0)