The U.S., EU and the U.K. sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in response to Russia's assault on Ukraine. The U.S. will set new sanctions on those two and "members of the Russian National Security Team," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing Jan. 25. The decision was reached following a phone call with EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen. The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation imposed asset freezes on the two Russian leaders, in a Feb. 25 notice; the restrictions did not include a travel ban. The U.K. began rolling out its second wave of sanctions Feb. 24, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising to designate more than 100 individuals and entities (see 2202240070). High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said at a news conference Feb. 25 that the EU would add Putin and Lavrov to its sanctions regime, adding to the bloc's earlier announcement laying out broad sectoral sanctions and restrictions on a large list of individuals and entities.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control placed five additional Russian officials, 44 entities and five vessels on sanctions lists. The move follows OFAC's Directive 1A issued Feb. 22.
The Senate should move forward with the confirmation of Alan Estevez, who was nominated last summer to lead the Bureau of Industry and Security, said Kevin Wolf, former assistant secretary for export administration, in a LinkedIn post. "BIS is advancing significant national security objectives in novel and complex ways," said Wolf, who is now a lawyer at Akin Gump. "It needs Alan Estevez in as its Under Secretary now. Seriously. Whatever issues are holding up his confirmation need to be set aside today so that he can get to work at BIS." Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has voiced some reservations over Estevez's stance on gun export controls (see 2201050023 and 2110050029).
U.S. export controls on quantum computing and communication technologies would slow scientific progress and fail to target the most “defense-relevant applications,” the nonprofit Rand Corp. said in a recent report. The think tank said the U.S. should “not impose export controls on quantum computers or quantum communications systems at this time” or risk stifling American quantum innovation.
The Office of Foreign Asset Control on Feb. 28 issued a new directive that blocks certain transactions with the Central Bank of Russia, the Russian National Wealth Fund, and the Russian Ministry of Finance. OFAC also designated the Russian Direct Investment Fund -- which the agency called a "key" sovereign wealth fund -- along with its CEO, Kirill Dmitriev. OFAC also designated RDIF's management company and one of the managing company’s subsidiaries. By blocking these entities, OFAC said it is "terminating yet another route through which Russia has benefitted from access to the U.S. financial system."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb. 24 announced a second set of "severe" sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a report from CBC News. Mirroring U.S. sanctions imposed the same day, the sanctions target major Russian financial institutions and members of the country's elite, the report said. The new round of sanctions follows those issued the previous day by Canada, as well as sanctions announced by Australia and Japan on Feb. 23.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will look for ways to improve its administrative enforcement efforts and the voluntary self-disclosure program in the coming year, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod said while speaking to the Silverado Policy Accelerator on Feb. 24. Under the administrative enforcement review, BIS will consider how often it uses its no admit/no deny resolutions to help deterrence and accountability, he said. The bureau will also review how it "calibrates" penalties and will explore additional or expanded penalties for items that harm national security even if the transaction value is low. It will also review how often, and in what cases, administrative resolutions should continue in parallel with criminal resolutions by DOJ.
The EU and the U.K. announced another round of sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Building off a first wave of restrictions imposed on Russia following troop movement into the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, they either added or announced a series of individuals and entities that will be subject to greater restrictions. The EU said it plans to impose grand sectoral sanctions against Russia, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the U.K. will impose asset freezes on over 100 new entities and individuals.
The U.S. is imposing additional sanctions and new export controls following Russia's "further invasion of Ukraine," as promised by President Biden in his Feb. 22 speech (see 2202220003). The sanctions cover financial restrictions on Russian state-owned enterprises, banks, and individuals, while the export controls set restrictions on a variety of high-tech products. The new measures are part of an "unprecedented level of multilateral cooperation" according to the White House.
The U.S. will set new sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov and "members of the Russian National Security Team," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki at a press briefing Jan. 25. The decision was reached following a phone call with EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU announced similar measures the same day. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said details would be released later on Feb. 25.