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The United States has announced new sanctions targeting individuals and entities tied to Russia’s military-industrial complex.

Some shit you should know before you read: Following their invasion of Ukraine, Russia was hit with significant sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western nations, leading to severe financial challenges. The sanctions have crippled key sectors of the Russian economy, driving inflation to multi-year highs and eroding public confidence in the stability of the ruble. In response, Russia’s central bank has attempted to reassure the public by raising interest rates and intervening in currency markets, but these measures have provided only temporary relief. Reports suggest that, without a significant recovery in energy exports or sanctions relief, Russia could deplete its financial reserves by the fall of 2025, further exacerbating its economic crisis and limiting its ability to sustain long-term military operations.

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What’s going on now: The US Treasury Department revealed an expansion of sanctions targeting over 150 individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex. The sanctions redesignated nearly 100 major entities in Russia’s financial, energy, and defense sectors while imposing penalties on 15 new entities, many of which were allegedly involved in a sanctions evasion scheme between Russia and China. The measures also introduce mandatory secondary sanctions, increasing penalties for companies or entities globally that conduct significant transactions with Russia’s military-industrial base.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the broader goal of these actions, stating, “We continue to bring available tools to bear on disrupting Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, together with G7 and other likeminded partners. We stand in solidarity with Ukrainians in defending their homeland against Russia’s illegal war of choice.” According to US officials, with the addition of sanctions on a bank tied to Russian oligarchs and entities facilitating cross-border payments for sanctioned goods, the US is seeking to isolate Moscow further and choke off revenue streams critical to its military operations.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said, “Today’s actions frustrate the Kremlin’s ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine.”

Russia responds: Russia has condemned the latest round of US sanctions, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describing them as “illegal” and warning of their destabilizing impact on global energy markets. “Of course, such decisions cannot but lead to a certain destabilization of international energy markets, oil markets,” Peskov stated during a press briefing. He added that Russia will adapt to the sanctions by finding alternative routes for energy exports and minimizing their consequences. “If something is blocked in one place, alternative options appear in another,” Peskov said, emphasizing Moscow’s determination to mitigate the effects of the restrictions.

He also accused the US of using “non-competitive ways” to undermine Russian companies and claimed that the outgoing Biden administration is leaving President-elect Donald Trump with “the worst possible legacy” in terms of US-Russia relations.

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