US President Joe Biden has announced a further 200 sanctions on individuals and firms suspected of countries supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the bloody war enters its second year. The US leader said: “Today, a year after bombs began to fall, Ukraine is still independent and free,” adding: “From Kherson to Kharkiv — Ukrainian fighters have reclaimed their land. And in more than half of the territory Russia held last year, the Ukrainian flag proudly waves once more.”
Biden and the leaders of the G7 nations held a virtual meeting on Friday with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in a chance for the leaders to come together and discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine and coordinate efforts to hold Russia accountable for the war.
The US president announced a further 200 sanctions to be placed on Russia and those helping its war efforts.
When announcing the penalties, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen said: “As the Ukrainian people continue to valiantly defend their homeland and their freedom, the United States is proud to support Ukraine through economic, security, and humanitarian assistance.
“Over the past year, we have taken actions with a historic coalition of international partners to degrade Russia’s military-industrial complex and reduce the revenues that it uses to fund its war.
“Our sanctions have had both short-term and long-term impact, seen acutely in Russia’s struggle to replenish its weapons and in its isolated economy. Our actions today with our G7 partners show that we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. .”
In a tweet on Friday, Biden wrote “A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase the people’s love of liberty. Brutality will never grind down the will of the free. And Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. Never.”
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “One year ago, this group came together, just mere hours after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, to impose unprecedented costs on Putin and his cronies.
“We’ve worked together to provide Ukraine with the security, economic, economic and budget, humanitarian, and energy assistance it needs.”
It has been one year, as of Friday, February 22, 2023, since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine in a war that has shocked the world.
READ MORE: Ukraine war will last for as long as Putin is still in power – COMMENT
It comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping said he would soon present a “peace proposal” for the “conflict” in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the invasion, China has refused to call it a war.
On Friday, Joe Biden’s administration announced 200 new sanctions against Russia, as well as other third-country actors in Europe, Asia and the Middle East that are supporting Moscow’s war.
The new sanctions will target Russian banks, and people connected to the country’s military and technology industries, White House officials said in a statement.
There will also be new sanctions targeting Moscow’s metal and mining sectors in an ongoing effort to reduce Russia’s chance of profiting from price increases.
But earlier efforts to sanction the pariah state haven’t worked as the bloody war has been ongoing for a year.
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