US President Joe Biden announced a new package of sanctions consisting of more than 500 sanctions aimed at crippling Moscow’s ability to resupply itself on the eve of the two-year anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The new sanctions will target the Kremlin's financial and defense sectors, as well as individuals culpable in the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whom Biden called “a courageous anti-corruption activist and Putin’s fiercest opposition leader.”
“These sanctions will target individuals connected to Navalny’s imprisonment as well as Russia’s financial sector, defense industrial base, procurement networks and sanctions evaders across multiple continents,” Biden said in an official press release.
Biden said there will also be “new export restrictions” directed at nearly 100 entities that provided “backdoor support for Russia’s war machine,” adding that the US government is actively taking measures to reduce Russia’s energy revenue.
In December, Bloomberg reported that Russian oil revenue had surpassed pre-war levels by the use of “shadow fleets” and forged documents to evade sanctions, for which the US has reportedly responded by stepping up measures to enforce the sanctions.
Biden also urged the US Congress to pass the aid package for Ukraine “before it’s too late.”
“Two years into this war, the people of Ukraine continue to fight with tremendous courage. But they are running out of ammunition.
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“Ukraine needs more supplies from the United States to hold the line against Russia’s relentless attacks, which are enabled by arms and ammunition from Iran and North Korea,” said Biden.
The $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, which has led to fierce debates in US Congress and continues to stall, could be lifesaving for Kyiv as it struggles with munition shortages across the front, forcing the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka after months of fierce fighting.
Biden said the military aid for Ukraine could also strengthen the US industrial base, an opinion expressed by the US Army acquisition chief Doug Bush recently.
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Comments (5)
The house of representatives will never wash the blood of ukrainian peoples that have died while they play political games in Washington DC. They will be hated and reviled for all time as murderers and never regain trust with the American people or the world.
The UK is not prepared for war, the most we could handle is a small conflict against natives armed only with sharpened fruit.
Yes we have nukes but we cannot use them, just as Putin cannot use his, nor the chemical weapons he would love to drop on a Ukrainian city but he fears the international response.. for now.
The UK never thought it would fight a conventional ground war ever again and our ministers dismantled our capability over a couple of decades, our generals cried foul but were ignored.
This invasion of Ukraine has shown that we still need tanks, jets, ships and soldiers. We thought freedom was secure and would never be in question, it is not.
Fresh from dealing with Covid, Western governments need to react to this Russian threat. We must use our votes carefully to steer them in the right direction.
The United States federal government owns roughly 640 million acres, about 28% of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States.
Who would be crazy enough to hand over that sovereign land to Putin?
The genocidal invader Putin has taken 20% of Ukraine by force. Don’t negotiate with Putin. Kick him to the curb, get him completely out of sovereign Ukraine territory including Crimea. Stop him from taking over Europe.
Ukraine's top supporters based on GDP per capita (including both direct and prorated EU portion), are mostly all former 'Eastern European' nations. Denmark, Norway and Netherlands, Sweden and Germany and UK being notable exceptions. These most proximate nations to russia best know what it's like to be under the oppressive rule of KGB thug rulers like putin.
From the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Aid tracking website 31 nations are contributing more of their GDP than is the USA. These include:
- Estonia at 4.14% GDP
- Latvia at 1.72% GDP
- Lithuania at 2.0% GDP
- Slovakia at 1.40 % GDP
- Poland at 1.30% GDP
- Finland at 1.30% GDP
- Czech Republic at 1.05% GDP
- Bulgaria at 1.02% GDP .
...other eastern EU nations are also also contributing significantly with Hungary being the lowest at 0.73% GDP.
To put this in perspective the UK is investing 0.55% GDP and both Canada and the USA have invested only 0.32% of their GDP in Ukraine support over last 2 years.
Wikipedia indicates 75 countries are providing Ukraine with aid including surprisingly China (a tiny amount of humanitarian aid).
Please USA citizens do not let your leadership fail to further support Ukraine. Putin attacks your own nation daily with cyber crimes, political meddling, democracy dissent sowing and fomented refugee surges on your border. They have shot down your aircraft flying over international waters. They plotted against your UN peacekeeping efforts in Syria. They collaborate with your enemies toward your downfall. All of the above should be transactionally meaningful. By being here you already though that supporting Ukraine is also the morally right thing.
Some russian troll will eventually follow up my post with false news that the USA has already done more than its share. Thus, let be leave you with some readily available facts illustrating the costs are shared amongst your allies.
If one factors in each nation's military donations to Ukraine (who it is fair to say is also reducing NATO members risk,), then 21 of the 31 NATO members spent >2% on military defence the last 2 years. The number would increase again if factoring the separate EU / ECC contributions to Ukraine once prorated back to each member state. Further Increases are ubiquitously in the works.
As of Jan. 15, 2024, EU / ECC institutions alone have committed 3X the direct Ukraine monetary support ($77.2 Billion) then has the USA ($24 billion not counting either's related internal expenditures).
----to be continued-----