US imposes sanctions and tariffs on Russia on anniversary of war in Ukraine

By Steve Holland, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Estados Unidos commemorated el viernes el premier aniversario de la invasion rusa de Ucrania con el anuncio de nuevas sanciones contre Rusia y sus aliados, nuevos controls a la exportación y arance les destinados a socavar la capacidad de Moscú par hacer War.

Washington also said it would provide $2 billion in additional weapons to kyiv, which is preparing for a spring offensive. The aid does not include the F-16 fighter jets requested by Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden will meet with leaders of G7 allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 9 a.m. local time (2 p.m. GMT) to discuss additional assistance that can be provided to Ukrainians.

The United States has joined G7 allies with plans to impose sanctions that will affect 200 individuals and entities and a dozen Russian financial institutions.

The sanctions target targets in Russia and “third country operatives” in Europe, Asia and the Middle East who support Russia’s war effort, the White House said in a press briefing.

“We will sanction other actors linked to the Russian defense and technology industry, including those responsible for replenishing Russian stockpiles of sanctioned items or enabling the circumvention of Russian sanctions,” he said. he adds.

Biden was preparing to sign proclamations to raise tariffs on Russian goods imported into the United States. The result will be increased tariffs on more than 100 Russian metals, minerals and chemicals worth about $2.8 billion to Russia.

“The costs of aluminum that was cast or formed in Russia to enter the U.S. market will also be increased significantly to offset damage to the domestic aluminum industry,” the White House said.

The US Department of Commerce will take various export control actions, listing nearly 90 Russian and third-country companies, including in China, for engaging in sanctions-busting in favor of the Russian defense sector.

“These lists will prohibit designated companies from purchasing items, such as semiconductors, whether manufactured in the United States or with certain U.S. technology or software overseas,” the White House said.

The Commerce Department will also work with G7 allies to harmonize measures on industrial machinery, luxury goods and other items, as well as issue new restrictions to prevent components found in Iranian drones from reaching the Ukraine’s battlefield, the White House said.

Biden has spent the past year mobilizing America’s allies against the Russian invasion.

When the war started, Russia planned to quickly take over Kiev with a hit and run and absorb its western neighbor in what Moscow called a “special military operation”.

Yet Ukraine’s fierce resistance, bolstered by massive amounts of weapons supplied by the United States and NATO allies, helped it hold the line and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin. his home.

The Pentagon said the additional $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine includes more munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and a number of different types of drones, including Switchblades. and the CyberLux K8.

The weapons will come from a fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the Biden administration to source weapons from industry rather than US arsenals.

In remarks on the anniversary, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the United States had committed more than $32 billion in military assistance to Ukraine over the past year. past year, including 8,500 Javelin anti-armour systems and 38 HIMARS.

“Putin thought Ukraine’s defenses would crumble, American resolve would waver, and the world would look the other way. He was wrong,” Austin said.

“A year later, Ukraine’s brave defenders have not wavered, and neither has our commitment to support them for as long as it takes,” he said.

Resistance to sending US fighter jets to Ukraine continues to exist in the upper echelons of the Biden administration.

When asked if the United States would send F-16 fighter jets, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on Thursday that they were not the key capability needed to Ukraine’s next spring offensive, but rather for long-term defensive needs.

(Reporting by Steve Holland, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing in Spanish by Flora Gómez)