Unlock Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, editor-in-chief of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
The United States has imposed sanctions on more than 300 Russian and international entities, including some in China and Turkey, for supporting the Russian military in its war in Ukraine.
The new measures reflect Washington’s growing concern about the essential contribution of China and other countries to maintaining Russia’s military industrial base.
The targets of the sanctions announced Wednesday include two Chinese groups that supplied Moscow with nitrocellulose, an ingredient in gunpowder and rocket propellant, as well as Russian chemical importers.
“Today’s actions will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by attacking its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it,” the Treasury Secretary said Wednesday, Janet Yellen.
The sanctions follow warnings from Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Chinese companies supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine will face significant consequences.
Chinese targets include groups believed to have supplied Russia with drones, weapons and munitions, as well as chips, sensors and other military technology.
Blinken raised his concerns with officials during a recent visit to Beijing. Washington is also considering imposing sanctions on Chinese banks, but the targets revealed Wednesday did not include any Chinese financial institutions.
The Treasury imposed sanctions on two Chinese groups – Wuhan Global Sensor Technology and Wuhan Tongsheng Technology – whose officials recently told reporters that they were helping Russia. Wuhan Global produced infrared detectors for a Russian military optics manufacturer.
It also targeted Juhang Aviation, a Shenzhen-based company that produces drone-related equipment, including propellers, signal jammers, sensors and motors.
The latest restrictions come as the United States begins delivering deadly new aid to Ukraine after Congress passed a much-delayed foreign aid package including $60 billion for kyiv.
Ukrainian troops are struggling to maintain their positions along the front line in the east of the country.
“Combined, our support for Ukraine and our relentless targeting of Russia’s military capability give Ukraine a crucial edge on the battlefield,” Yellen said.
Wednesday’s sanctions also target Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs, according to the Treasury.
The United States also designated maritime operators that continued to support the development of Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project after it was authorized last year.
Among them is Red Box Energy Services, a Singapore-based company founded by American-born shipping executive Philip Adkins. The journey of Red Box-operated vessels Audax and Pugnax through the ice-blocked Northern Sea Route to deliver equipment to Arctic LNG 2 was documented in a Financial Times investigation in February. Adkins was not nominated by the United States. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. State Department said: “Today’s actions demonstrate the United States’ continued determination to limit the production and export capacity of the Arctic LNG 2 project and to limit third-party support for the project.
The United States has sought other ways to curb cash flow to Vladimir Putin’s regime, including a measure passed by the Senate on Tuesday banning imports of enriched uranium from Russia.
The White House has indicated that it supports the decision. The bill will also unlock $2.7 billion in government funding to expand uranium processing in the United States.
Nearly a fifth of the nuclear fuel used by the U.S. nuclear reactor fleet is supplied through enrichment contracts with Russian suppliers, worth an estimated $1 billion per year.
The legislation contains temporary waivers until early 2028, during which U.S. customers can continue to import Russian uranium if no alternative supply is available.
News Source : www.ft.com
Gn world
