Biden administration imposes sanctions on Russian lawmakers, defense companies

The administration of US President Joe Biden announced sanctions on more than 300 Russian lawmakers and dozens of state-owned companies saying that they are connected to the military campaign in Ukraine.

The announcement came on Thursday as Biden met with NATO allies and Group of Seven (G-7) leaders in Brussels to discuss how to deal with Russia.

Biden arrived in Brussels for an unprecedented trio of NATO, G7 and EU summits.  He is attending all three meetings and will hold a news conference afterward.  

"I’m announcing additional sanctions on over 400 Russian elites, lawmakers, and defense companies in response to Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine. They personally gain from the Kremlin’s policies, and they should share in the pain," Biden tweeted.

The US sanctions target 328 members of the Duma, Russia's parliament, as well as the Duma itself as an entity.

The US has also imposed sanctions on 17 board members of Sovcombank, one of the largest Russian financial institutions, as well as 48 Russian defense enterprises that have been producing equipment for the military, including helicopters and tactical missiles, according to The Hill.

The Biden administration also imposed sanctions on Herman Gref, who is the head of Sberbank, Russia's largest financial institution, and Gennady Timchenko, a businessman.

MG