U.S. considers cutting off Putin's entourage from international payment systems
The United States is considering new sanctions against Russia due to the situation around Ukraine. According to American analysts, Russia has deployed almost 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian borders.
According to The New York Times, American and British officials are working on sanctions against Russian oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin.
The measures may include restricting access for Russian oligarchs to Visa and Mastercard, as well as travel restriction to the UK and Europe for them and their families, writes the New Your Times.
According to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a Senior Fellow and Director at the Center for a New American Security, Biden administration officials are now in Europe trying to work out a coordinated package of measures against Russia. Sanctions against Russian banks, oil and gas companies and sovereign debt are also being discussed.
While preparing new sanctions, Washington is still trying to negotiate with the Kremlin through diplomatic channels, NYT sources say. At the same time, the possibility of additional military assistance to Kyiv, in addition to the already agreed aid of $ 400 million, remains open: the U.S. officials fear that this will lead to an escalation of the situation.
The United States does not rule out any actions in response to Russia's "unusual" military activity on the border with Ukraine, said the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried.
"There is a toolkit that includes a whole range of options," she said, adding that the issue would be discussed at a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO countries next week.