The Senate late Nov. 20 defeated three joint resolutions of disapproval that would have blocked the transfer of certain offensive weapons to Israel (see 2411200041).
The Treasury Department’s lead official for the Committee on the Foreign Investment in the U.S. expects the committee to continue much of its existing efforts under the incoming Trump administration, including by prioritizing enforcement and compliance with mitigation agreements.
The U.K. added eight people to its global anti-corruption sanctions regime on Nov. 21, including Isabel Dos Santos, an Azerbaijani national, for misappropriating millions of dollars while acting as head of an Angolan state oil firm and director of an Angolan telecommunications company. Angolan national Paula Cristina Oliveira was sanctioned for her role in Dos Santos' scheme, as was Portuguese national Sarju Raikundalia.
European companies are looking for clarity around new rules that may require them to boost due diligence efforts among their non-EU subsidiaries and insert language in contracts that bars reexports of sensitive goods to Russia and Belarus, lawyers said this week.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which has been looking into how U.S. computing chips have ended up in Russian weapons, hopes to issue a new report on its work before year’s end, the panel’s chairman said Nov. 20.
The U.S. this week issued a host of new sanctions against Russia, targeting Gazprombank, the country’s largest remaining non-designated bank, along with more than 50 smaller banks tied to Moscow, more than 40 securities registrars Russia has used to evade sanctions and 15 Russian finance officials. The agency also issued new and updated general licenses and warned foreign banks that they could be sanctioned for participating in a Russia-linked financial messaging system.
The State Department approved two possible military sales, to South Korea and to Ukraine, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Nov. 19. The South Korea sale includes $6.2 billion worth of equipment and services to upgrade its F-15K aircraft fleet, and the primary contractors will be Boeing, Raytheon and BAE Systems. Ukraine will buy equipment and services to refurbish vehicles along with technical assistance, training and more for $100 million, and the principal contractor hasn’t yet been chosen.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., said Nov. 20 that he opposes legislation to block the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel.
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of billionaire businessman Howard Lutnick to be Commerce secretary (see 2411190036) drew mixed reaction on Capitol Hill this week.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Nov. 20 that she’s trying to get two sanctions bills included in the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress aims to pass before it adjourns for the year in December.