Russia imposed travel bans on representatives of European Union member states in response to the bloc's sanctions on Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced, according to an unofficial translation. The number of sanctioned individuals is unknown, as are the names of the sanctioned parties. The notice specified that the listed individuals include European private military company leaders, law enforcement representatives, and legislative and executive agencies of various member states. The EU's sanctions are "hypocritical," seeing as the EU purportedly imposes the norms of its legislation "everywhere," Russia's Foreign Ministry said. "The European Union deplores the decision by Russian authorities, announced on Friday, to ban an unknown number of representatives of EU Member States and institutions from entry into Russia," the EU responded in a statement Jan. 28. "This decision lacks any legal justification and transparency and will meet an appropriate response. With it, Russia continues to fuel a climate of tensions in Europe instead of contributing to de-escalation."
Legislation intended to expand the criteria for which the United Kingdom can sanction individuals and companies under the country's Russia sanctions program will be sent to Parliament, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Jan. 31. The new regulations will allow sanctions to be imposed on any "any company that is linked to the Russian state, engages in business of economic significance to the Russian state, or operates in a sector of strategic significance to the Russian state" along with those who control these entities, Truss said before Parliament.
Senators said this week they are close to finalizing negotiations on a bill that would impose new sanctions on Russia both before and after it potentially invades Ukraine. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the Democratic chair of the chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee, said Feb. 1 that he plans to meet soon with Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the committee’s top Republican, to finalize the bill.
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Eight countries aligned with the European Union's decision to add one individual to its Libya sanctions regime, the European Council said Jan 31. The council on Dec. 13 added Aleksandr Sergeevich Kuznetsov to the sanctions list due to his position in the Wagner Group, a Russia-based private military entity (see 2112130009). Kuznetsov, commander of the Wagner Group's 1st Attack and Reconnaissance Co., was injured in Libya while fighting alongside the Libyan National Liberation Army in 2019, the council said. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Georgia also imposed sanctions on Kuznetsov -- a move welcomed by the EU, the council said.
As the U.S. and the European Union both prepare their own set of Russian sanctions and export controls, a senior U.S. official said the measures may not be identical but will align very closely to avoid hurting the competitiveness of U.S. firms. Peter Harrell, a National Security Council official, also said the trade restrictions won’t amount to an embargo against “everyday” Russian consumers, and will likely include exemptions and a wind-down period.
The European Council condemned recent aggressive action from Russia that has heightened tensions with Ukraine. In Jan. 24 conclusions on the European security situation, the council promised "massive consequences and severe costs" for any greater Russian military aggression against Ukraine, which includes "a wide array of sectoral and individual restrictive measures" that would be taken up by the European Union and its partners.
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The Biden administration this week previewed its plan to impose a “massive” set of export controls and sanctions on the Russian economy if the country further invades Ukraine, including measures to cut off Russian companies from both U.S. and foreign-produced technology inputs. The export restrictions could include an expansion of the Commerce Department’s foreign direct product rule, officials said, and would specifically target several of Russia’s “key” technology sectors, including its defense, aerospace, quantum computing and artificial intelligence industries.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced a version of a bill that would impose a host of sweeping new sanctions against Russia in the event it invades Ukraine, including new restrictions on Russian debt and broad sanctions against the country’s extractive industries. The bill, introduced in the House last week, also would authorize certain sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, designate Russian financial institutions and expedite military assistance for Ukraine, similar to its companion bill in the Senate (see 2201120036).