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U.S. ramps up Russia tensions, imposing broad sanctions for Moscow's 'malign acts'
Daniel Harries
U.S. President Joe Biden has invited his counterpart Vladimir Putin, above, to a meeting in a third country. /Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

U.S. President Joe Biden has invited his counterpart Vladimir Putin, above, to a meeting in a third country. /Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

 

The U.S. has imposed a broad array of sanctions on Russia over allegations of interference in the 2020 U.S. election, cyber-hacking, bullying Ukraine and other "malign" acts.

The measures blacklisted Russian companies, expelled Russian diplomats and placed limits on the Russian sovereign debt market – the biggest escalation in Washington's sanctions program. 

Moscow stated the sanctions dangerously raised the temperature between the two countries and summoned the U.S. ambassador for what it said would be a tough conversation.

 

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Among the actions, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order restricting Russia's ability to issue sovereign debt to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2020 U.S. election, an allegation Russia denies. 

Biden barred U.S. financial institutions from taking part in the primary market for rouble-denominated Russian sovereign bonds from June 14. U.S. banks have been barred from taking part in the primary market for non-rouble sovereign bonds since 2019.

The U.S. Treasury also blacklisted 32 entities and individuals, which it said had carried out Russian government-directed attempts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election and other "acts of disinformation and interference."

In concert with U.S. allies, the European Union, the UK, Australia and Canada, the Treasury also sanctioned eight individuals associated with Russia's ongoing occupation and repression in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

 

Raising the temperature

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman said Moscow would respond to the sanctions in the near future.

"We have repeatedly warned the United States about the consequences of their hostile steps, which dangerously raise the temperature of confrontation between our two countries," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters. 

She said that although Biden had spoken to Russia's President Vladimir Putin about his interest in normalizing relations, his administration's actions testified to the opposite.

The ministry had summoned the U.S. ambassador, she said, adding: "It's not going to be a pleasant meeting for him."

Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, described the sanctions as "proportionate measures to defend American interests in response to harmful Russian actions."

"His [Biden's] goal is to provide a significant and credible response but not to escalate the situation," Sullivan told American broadcaster CNN.

The actions initially sent the Russian rouble down more than 2 percent against the dollar and to a more than five-month low against the euro before clawing back some losses.

Source(s): Reuters

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