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White House eyes new sanctions on lawmakers in Russian parliament as part of financial attack on Moscow

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HR King
May 29, 2001
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The White House is weighing new sanctions against lawmakers in the upper-chamber of the Russian parliament, as the United States seeks to increase financial pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

The potential U.S. sanctions on members of Russia’s Federation Council — also known as the country’s senate — would represent just the latest measure of at least a half-dozen major actions already taken by the White House to harm Russia’s financial elite and its economy more broadly over the assault on Ukraine.
A new iron curtain descends on Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine
The European Union on Wednesday moved to impose financial penalties on approximately 150 members of the Federation Council who voted to ratify Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authorization of military force in the Donetsk and Luhansk sections of eastern Ukraine.


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The U.S. could target a similar list as the one sanctioned by the E.U., according to the people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a matter not yet made public. The people stressed that no final decisions have been made on the matter and that the sanctions are not imminent.

A White House spokeswoman said that all options are on the table but added that action was not imminent. A spokeswoman for the Department of Treasury declined to comment. White House National Security Spokeswoman Emily Horne condemned the Russian Federation Council last week for approving a law that could include prison sentences of up to 15 years for journalists and citizens spreading “so-called ‘false’ information about Putin’s unconscionable war in Ukraine.”
America has moved aggressively in recent days to impose a broad range of financial penalties on Russia, including sanctions on its central bank, banning oil imports from the country, and imposing new sanctions on oligarchs close to Putin. Experts expect more actions may follow.
U.S. to ban oil imports from Russia as White House explores drastic plans to buffer economy from energy shock
“The end destination is clear — we’re headed to 10 out of 10, Iran-style sanctions on Russia. The question is how quickly we get there,” said Edward Fishman, a former State Department official who worked on Russia sanctions policy during the Obama administration and is now at the Center for a New American Security.



The Russian Federation Council is a largely powerless body that “rubber stamps” virtually anything Putin requests, said Leon Aron, a senior fellow and Russian expert at the center-right think tank the American Enterprise Institute. But Aron added sanctions on the body could be worth undertaking, particularly because some of them have children and assets abroad.
“Symbolically, this would be a good thing because it sends a message that we know who you are … It’s good for them to know they are in our sights and on our radar,” Aron said.

 
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