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Russia temporarily increased its export quotas for mineral fertilizers by nearly 700,000 tons until May 31, the Russian Foreign Ministry said April 17, according to an unofficial translation. The quota for nitrogen fertilizers was upped by 231,000 tons to total about 5.7 million tons. The quota for complex fertilizers rose by 466,000 to about 5.6 million tons. The Foreign Ministry said the quotas don't apply to fertilizers to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine or to Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the South Caucasus. The move was made to support Russian fertilizer suppliers facing global sanctions, the ministry said.
The State Department hasn’t ruled out designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism after being asked to do so by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. will “look at all potential options that are available to us under the law, options that would be effective in holding Russia to account,” spokesperson Ned Price told reporters April 18. Price said the U.S. has already imposed “unprecedented costs” on Russia, including sanctions and export controls, adding that if a “tool is available and effective, we won't hesitate to use it.”
Russia banned U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and 12 senior British politicians from entering the country in response to U.K. sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an April 16 statement, according to an unofficial translation. The individuals include former Prime Minister Theresa May and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.
Although the U.S. has been careful not to pressure some countries into imposing Russian energy restrictions and sanctions (see 2204110037), Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo is confident they will eventually join the more than 30 states imposing the measures. Those countries will realize the economic benefits of doing business with nations in the “sanctions coalition” outweighs the value of doing business with Russia, Adeyemo said.
If Europe is unable to impose a complete embargo on Russian energy imports, it should at least consider an import tax to begin reducing European demand for Russian oil, said Andreas Goldthau, an energy policy expert and professor at the University of Erfurt. Goldthau, speaking during an April 14 event hosted by the Washington International Trade Association, said revenue from the tariffs could also help the EU source and distribute gas from other suppliers.
Three Russian citizens -- legislator Aleksandr Babakov and two staff members, Aleksandr Vorobev and Mikhail Plisyuk -- were charged with conspiring to use a Russian agent in the U.S. without proper notification, violate U.S. sanctions and commit visa fraud, DOJ announced. The indictment is cited as being the work of Task Force KleptoCapture -- the U.S.'s interagency task force charged with enforcing recent sanctions action following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In a series of sanctions moves, the U.K. corrected three entries under its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regime and added two entries to its Russia sanctions list. Added to the Russia sanctions -- in response to its invasion of Ukraine -- by the U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation are Eugene Tenenbaum and David Davidovich, two associates of sanctioned businessman Roman Abramovich. In the ISIL notice, OFSI amended the entry for Ashraf Al-Qizani and corrected the entries for Mehrez Ben Mahmoud Ben Sassi Al-Amdouni, Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Ramzi Mohamed Abdullah Binalshibh.
Russia announced counter sanctions on U.S. and Canadian senators in a pair of notices from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The restrictions on U.S. legislators apply to 398 individuals and cover a vast majority of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The sanctions on Canada cover 87 Canadian senators, barring them from entering Russia.
The U.K. on April 14 announced a new wave of sectoral sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The restrictions include a ban on the export of luxury goods to Russia, a prohibition on the import of iron and steel goods that are consigned from or originate in Russia and a ban on the direct or indirect acquisition of iron and steel products from Russia or located in Russia. As part of the luxury goods ban, the restrictions prohibit the supply or delivery of luxury goods from a third country to a place in Russia, the making of luxury goods available to a person connected with Russia and the making of luxury goods available for use in Russia.