On the One Year Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, Biden Announces New Sanctions

Today is one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. This set off a series of events that have heightened global tensions to an all-time high.

While the Biden Administration has been tough on Russia, it has also gathered as much assistance as possible for Ukraine. There is even talk of a push to include more advanced military equipment.

As the anniversary of the start of the war approaches, the U.S. announced additional sanctions against Russia to stop them from continuing the conflict.

According to POLITICO:

In a press release, the White House stated that the Treasury and State Departments will apply sweeping new sanctions to further undermine the Russian economy. More than 200 people and entities will be targeted, including Russians and third-party actors in Europe.

In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that President Putin initiated this illegal war and has the power to stop it. “The United States is strong with Ukraine in its defense of itself. We will continue to do this until Ukraine’s sovereignty has been respected and the people can choose their democratic future in freedom, peace, and prosperity.”

These new measures were jointly announced with G7 leaders who met virtually on Thursday. They also include additional economic support to Ukraine.

POLITICO reports that the leaders of the group “increased their 2023 commitment to budget and economic support for Ukraine to $39 billion, and the U.S. plans up to $250M in emergency energy assistance to Ukraine in order to strengthen its electric grid.”

Although it is unlikely that Russia will suddenly cease its war with the West, the sanctions could hurt the war effort of some of the participants as well as some supporters of Putin.