U.S. sanctions target Putin’s allies

U.S. sanctions target Putin’s allies

What has happened?

The U.S. struck at the heart of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle on Friday, imposing sanctions on seven of Russia’s most influential oligarchs and stoking a diplomatic crisis that some have dubbed a new Cold War.

Total Targets

In all, seven oligarchs, 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian officials and a state-owned arms export company

Why US is taking this action?

• In response to the totality of the Russian government’s ongoing and increasingly brazen pattern of malign activity across the world
• This included their occupation of Crimea, instigation of violence in eastern Ukraine, support for the Assad regime in Syria and ongoing malicious cyber-activity
• Russia’s continued attacks to subvert western democracies
• Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S. election

Russian response

Moscow on Saturday promised a “tough response” to new United States’ sanctions imposed on seven of Russia’s most influential oligarchs following the diplomatic crisis sparked by the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal