US to sanction Russian officials, ban new investment in Russia

The administration of US President Joe Biden will impose new sanctions on Russia this week that include a ban on new investments and sanctions on Russian government officials and their family members, according to reports.

According to Press TV, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the sanctions were being coordinated with the Group of Seven and the European Union. 

She said that the sanctions will also target Russian-owned financial institutions and state-owned enterprises. 

She said that the sanctions are in response to Russia’s recent operations in Bucha, a town near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv,  and other "acts of violence" in Ukraine.   

“We are continuing to assess and make decisions about additional consequences and steps we can put in place,” Psaki said during the White House briefing.

Earlier on Tuesday, the European Union proposed a fresh batch of sanctions against Russia over the military conflict in Ukraine, amid divisions among the bloc’s leaders on whether to restrict Russia's energy imports into the continent.

The European Commission proposed the new measures, including a ban on coal imports and blocking Russian ships from entering European ports.

The new package, which needs to be approved unanimously by the bloc’s 27 member states, is likely to restrict the leasing of airplanes and the import and export of products like jet fuel, steel products and luxury goods as well.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video address that additional sanctions, including on oil imports, were being worked out.

“The four packages of sanctions have hit hard and limited the Kremlin’s political and economic options. In view of events we need to increase our pressure further,” she said.

Western countries have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia since President Vladimir Putin declared a military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

The new measures were proposed after Ukrainian troops began showing journalists corpses of what they claim are civilians killed by Russian forces in Bucha and other towns near Kiev.

Russia denied any civilian killings, saying that the images were fakes produced by Ukrainian forces or that the deaths occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out of the areas.

"It is a simply a well-directed but tragic show," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "It is a forgery aimed at denigrating the Russian army.  And it will not work."

ME