Biden declares war on oligarchs with 8 sanctioned and 50 banned from US

‘These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people, and some have elevated their family members into high-ranking positions’

The White House has added Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov and seven Russian oligarchs and their families to the list of “Putin cronies” who will be subject to US sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Joe Biden said the newest round of sanctions was part of US efforts to go after “the crimes of Russian oligarchs … who line their pockets with Russian peoples’ money while Ukraine and [its] people are hiding in the subway from Russian missiles that are being fired indiscriminately”.

“Today I’m announcing that we’re adding dozens of names to the list including one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires and I’m banning travel to America by more than 50 Russian oligarchs, their families and their close associates,” said Mr Biden, who added that the US would “continue to support Ukrainian people with direct assistance”.

According to a senior administration official, the “additional Russian elites and family members” named Thursday have been targeted by the US and allies because they “continue supporting President Vladimir Putin despite his brutal invasion of Ukraine”.

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“These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people, and some have elevated their family members into high-ranking positions. Others sit atop Russia’s largest companies and are responsible for providing the resources necessary to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” said the official, who added that all of the individuals “will be cut off from the US financial system” and see their assets in the US frozen, with any property they hold “blocked from use”.

In addition to Mr Peskov — who the official called “a top purveyor of Putin’s propaganda” — the US is also imposing “full blocking sanctions” on seven other oligarchs:

• Rosneft board member Nikolai Tokarev, his wife Galine, his daughter Mayya, and two of his real estate companies.

• The co-owners of oil and gas pipeline construction firm StroyGazMontazh Group, Boris Rotenberg (plus his wife Karina, and their sons Roman and Boris) and Arkady Rotenberg, his sons Pavel and Igor and daughter Liliya.

• Sergei Chemezov, CEO of the State Corporation for Assistance to Development, Production and Export of Advanced Technology Industrial Product — better known as Rostec — as well as his wife Yekaterina, his son Stanislav, and his stepdaughter Anastasiya.

• Igor Shuvalov — the chairman of Russian state development bank VEB.RF, formerly known as Vensheconombank — as well as his wife Olga, his son Evgeny and his company, and his daughter Maria and her company.

• Yevgeniy Prigozhin, better known as Mr Putin’s “chef,” has already been the target of previous rounds of US sanctions for his role in Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. His three companies, his wife Polina, his daughter Lyubov and his son Pavel will also be sanctioned as well.

• Alisher Usmanov, the former part-owner of Arsenal Football Club and the majority owner of Russian industrial conglomerate Metalloinvest. His yacht, one of the world’s largest, was seized by German officials earlier this week but will now be “blocked” in the US, as will his private jet.

Dmitry Peskov (REUTERS)

In addition, the official said the State Department will now restrict the issuance of US visas to “certain Russian oligarchs, their family members, and close associates” who are “known to direct, authorize, fund, significantly support, or carry out malign activities in support of Russia’s destabilizing foreign policy”.

“In an initial action under this policy, we have taken steps to place visa restrictions on 19 oligarchs and 47 family members and close associates,” the official said.