The United States, after imposing sanctions on Russia’s defense industry, is considering targeting other sectors involved in Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, a US Treasury Department official said Tuesday.
“We are planning to target additional sectors that are critical to the Kremlin’s ability to operate its war machine,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, according to the text of a speech he was scheduled to deliver at the Chatham House think tank in London.
The goal is to “undermine Russia’s ability to build and maintain the tools of war,” he said.
“In addition to sanctioning companies in sectors that enable the Kremlin’s malign activities, we also plan to take actions to disrupt their critical supply chains,” Adeyemo said.
Washington has already taken numerous steps against Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine, including financial sanctions last week targeting the Russian defense industry.
At the time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington would continue to target companies that supply Russia’s defense equipment, as well as their own suppliers.
“Now that our actions have blunted Russia’s ability to use its central bank assets to prop up its economy and fund Putin’s brutal war, we are going to increasingly focus our efforts on going after industries that are critical to Russia’s ability to project power,” Adeyemo said.
The additional sanctions will be taken “in coordination” with other countries also implementing measures against Moscow, he said.
