New sanctions against Russian oligarchs announced by the White House

There will be full bans on eight Russian elites, as well as their family members and associates.

It includes a move to target Alisher Burhanovich Usmanov, a Putin ally, “one of the richest individuals in Russia,” according to the White House, and would include his superyacht and his private jet.

The United States is also imposing sanctions on Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, whom the White House describes as a “large financier of Putin’s propaganda.”

“The United States and governments around the world will work to identify and freeze the assets that Russian elites and their family members hold in our jurisdictions — yachts, luxury apartments, money, and other ill-gotten gains,” the fact sheet said.

According to the White House, the individuals who will be subject to the full ban are:

The White House fact sheet said the United States will also impose visa restrictions on 19 oligarchs and 47 members of their families and confidants.

It would target oligarchs “who are known to direct, authorize, finance, significantly support or carry out malign activities in support of Russia’s destabilizing foreign policy.”

The Treasury will also issue penalties for targets of disinformation. This includes SDN Strategic Culture and Associated Ports Udna Rodina, Eurasia Rhythm, and Camerton Journal; Southern SDN InfoRos; the new eastern outlook; Eastern United Global International Review; and political geography.

It will also identify “26 individuals in Russia and Ukraine who play central roles in these organizations, enabling the efforts of the Government of the Russian Federation to spread disinformation and influence perceptions as part of its invasion of Ukraine.”

Biden is set to meet with his cabinet on Thursday afternoon as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, and most of his administration is engaged in the US response.

The cabinet meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, is expected to focus much more on foreign policy than usual, CNN reported. The President is expected to make brief statements at the beginning of the meeting on the latest developments in Ukraine.

This is the fourth Cabinet meeting chaired by Biden. Almost every agency or department expected to be represented at the meeting played some sort of role in the administration’s response to the crisis in Ukraine.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Germany last month to meet with allies and deliver a message from the United States at the Munich Security Conference. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has taken full responsibility for military assistance to Ukraine, including the Stinger anti-aircraft missiles delivered this week. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has rescinded the sanctions packages introduced over the past week by the administration and has also worked on the phones with her European counterparts to ensure they are compatible. Informed sources said that the Biden administration plans to impose new sanctions on the Russian oligarchs and their family members as soon as Thursday.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm worked this week to coordinate the release of 30 million barrels from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, along with other countries. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mallorcas, will oversee the status of potential temporary protections for Ukrainian refugees, along with ensuring that there are no widespread security concerns within the United States.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines led the US intelligence community in one of its most unusual moments, as Biden’s team uses the strategy of declassifying and disseminating intelligence about Russia’s intentions and plans. She also traveled to Europe to coordinate intelligence sharing with the Allies.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield took to her highest level yet with speeches at the Security Council and the General Assembly criticizing Russia for its invasion. OMB Acting Director Shalanda Young will lead the White House’s effort to secure $10 billion in lethal and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will not attend as he is traveling to Europe for today’s meetings with NATO allies.

The president devoted much of his State of the Union address on Tuesday to the conflict as Russian forces continue to attack Ukrainian cities.

CNN reports that Ukrainian forces have so far been able to fend off Russia’s initial push and maintain control of Kyiv and other major cities, but Russia is now bringing in more destructive weapons and increasingly striking civilian infrastructure. As the invasion enters its second week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is demanding more international assistance.

The United States and its allies have taken a wide range of measures in recent weeks aimed at punishing Moscow for the invasion, including harsh new sanctions and export controls aimed at imposing heavy costs on the Russian economy.

Biden announced Tuesday that the United States will ban Russian aircraft from American airspace, joining a growing number of countries that have closed their skies to Russia. The United States and its allies also agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their reserves.

The US will also ban US dollar transactions with the Russian Central Bank and completely block the Russian Direct Investment Fund to prevent Russia from easing some of the effects of the sanctions.

The White House, along with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, announced this weekend that they are expelling some Russian banks from SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world. In a major departure from its long-standing neutrality, Switzerland has also announced that it will join the European Union in imposing sanctions on Russia.