Tag Archives: sanctions

The Washington Post reports: Finnish Customs has seized artwork en route to Russia as part of sanctions imposed by the European Union. The paintings, sculptures and antiquities are worth 42 million euros ($46 million), the agency said. Finnish Customs stopped three shipments headed to Russia at the Vaalimaa border crossing, the agency said in a news release. The artwork was …

Reuters reports: The Moscow branch of a Chinese state bank has seen a surge in enquiries from Russian firms wanting to open new accounts, a person familiar with the matter said, as the country’s businesses struggle with international sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine. “Over the past few days, 200-300 companies have approached us, wanting to open new accounts,” the …

Reuters reports: Russia will impose temporary curbs on foreign investors seeking to exit Russian assets to ensure they take a considered decision not one driven by political pressure, the prime minister said on Tuesday, as Moscow responds to Western sanctions. “In the current sanction situation foreign entrepreneurs are forced to be guided, not by economic factors, but to make decisions …

Reuters reports: YouTube on Saturday barred Russian state-owned media outlet RT and other Russian channels from receiving money for advertisements that run with their videos, similar to a move by Facebook, after the invasion of Ukraine. Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” YouTube said in a statement that it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian …

The Hill reports: President Trump reportedly meant to undo sanctions imposed by his own Treasury Department on two Chinese shipping companies with an abrupt tweet referring to North Korea, but officials convinced him to ease off as they sought to explain away the post. The administration initially did not specify which sanctions Trump was referring to in a tweet last …

ABC News reports: The Trump administration on Monday slapped sanctions on several Russian companies and businessmen for engaging in cyberattacks and assisting Russia’s military and intelligence services with other malicious activities. The Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on five Russian firms and three of their executives under legislation passed last year and an executive order aimed at punishing …

Business Insider reports: President Donald Trump’s crackdown on trade claimed a massive victim this week, as the Chinese tech giant ZTE shut down most of its operations. The Commerce Department recently banned the sale of US-made parts to ZTE, crippling its operations and leading to a shutdown of its factories. In a statement Wednesday, ZTE said that “the major operating …

USA Today reports: The Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned a number of Russian entities for a wide range of behavior that U.S. officials say has sought to disrupt Western governments — including the attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Among the five individuals sanctioned by the Treasury Department Thursday is the Internet Research Agency, which was indicted by …

WOW. The Washington Examiner reports: On Wednesday, President Trump signed a new sanctions bill targeting Russia. Russia has reacted with unrestrained fury. Indeed, fury is an understatement. In a Facebook post specifically referencing Trump, the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (No. 2 only to Putin), warned that Congress sees Trump as “an incompetent player” who must be “liquidated”. Yes, you …

Here’s the full text of the signing statement, which is apparently the second of two versions issued today: Today, I have signed into law H.R. 3364, the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.” While I favor tough measures to punish and deter aggressive and destabilizing behavior by Iran, North Korea, and Russia, this legislation is significantly flawed. In its haste …

The New York Times reports: President Vladimir V. Putin announced on Sunday that the American diplomatic mission in Russia would have to cut its staff by 755 employees, a response to the new American sanctions that escalated the tensions between Washington and Moscow. “Over 1,000 employees — diplomats and technical workers — worked and continue to work today in Russia; …