US Places Further Sanctions on Russian War Capabilities

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Facts

• As many as 300 firms and individuals were on Wednesday placed on US sanctions lists in a renewed effort to blunt Russia's war machine.¹
• Nearly 200 entities were sanctioned by the US Dept. of the Treasury and more than 80 were sanctioned by the US Dept. of State. Alongside entities from Russia, the list included roughly 20 names from China or Hong Kong, as well as non-Russian entities located in Belgium, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.²
• In a statement announcing the move, US treasury secretary Janet Yellen said, 'Treasury has consistently warned that companies will face significant consequences for providing material support for Russia’s war and the US is imposing them today on almost 300 targets.'³
• Meanwhile, the State Department statement announcing the sanctions went on to accuse Russia of violating the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention by alleging that it used the choking agent chloropicrin, as well as riot control agents, against Ukrainian troops.⁴
• 'The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces' desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,' the State Department alleged. Both it and the Treasury Department sanctioned a number of firms they said were involved in Russian chemical weapons production.⁴
• While Russia has not responded to the most recent allegations, it leveled similar charges against Ukraine last week. It accused Ukraine of using riot control agents alongside other substances — some of which it alleged were produced by the US. Neither set of allegations can be independently confirmed.⁵

Sources: ¹CNN, ²Al Jazeera (a), ³Independent, ⁴Al Jazeera (b) and ⁵TASS.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Atlantic. When Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, the world came together to send him a message by placing many of the firms that prop up Russia's military under sanctions. While it could initially be argued that they didn't go far enough or they had little impact, two years later we're starting to see the measures restrict Russia's military as well as the livelihood of its general population, turning them against their leader. The sanctions are having a positive impact.
• Narrative B, as provided by POLITICO. Despite the West's big talk on sanctions, ask any politician about dual-use equipment being used by Russia and they'll go silent. In fact, when you look at who is providing Russia with this kind of gear, you'll find that it's not firms from China or Iran — but indeed companies in the US and Europe. Part of the problem is that despite the wording of the sanctions, there are insufficient means of enforcing the measures. As a result, sanctions are having little impact.

Predictions