
How the United States is Holding Russia and Belarus to Account
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Last updated: January 6, 2023
“President Putin may have assumed that the United States and our allies were bluffing when we warned of massive, unprecedented consequences.
Antony J. Blinken
But – as President Biden likes to say – big nations can’t bluff.
The United States doesn’t bluff.
And President Putin has gravely miscalculated.”
Secretary of State
The United States, along with its allies and partners, works to ensure the Russian Federation and the Lukashenka regime in Belarus pay a severe economic and diplomatic price for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
With our allies and partners, we have taken these actions:
- Applied powerful sanctions on Russia’s largest financial institutions and its sovereign wealth fund.
- Made it difficult for Russia to find funding for its war beyond its borders.
- Choked off Russian imports of key technologies.
- Targeted the financial networks and assets of Russian and Belarusian elites, including President Putin and members of his security council.
There is nowhere for individuals or entities who support the unprovoked war to hide. We already see the effects of these actions, as the Russian and Belarusian economies stumble. With our allies and partners, we will continue to take strong economic and diplomatic actions.
We are also working with partners, including the Ukrainian authorities and international institutions, to pursue justice and accountability for war crimes and other atrocities committed in Ukraine. We will use every tool available to promote accountability for these acts, including criminal prosecutions.
These U.S. actions, to date, hold Russia and Belarus to account.
Sanctions
Sweeping U.S. financial sanctions will impose costs on the Russian and Belarusian economies. Export controls and airspace restrictions will cut off Russia’s and Belarus’ access to vital technological inputs and atrophy their industrial base. These actions will undercut Russia’s and Belarus’ strategic ambitions to exert influence on the world stage.
january 26, 2023
Countering the Wagner Group and Degrading Russia’s War Efforts in Ukraine
Actions to Counter Wagner and Degrade Russia’s War Efforts in Ukraine
Treasury Sanctions Russian Proxy Wagner Group as a Transnational Criminal Organization
january 6, 2023
New Sanctions Targeting Iran’s UAV and Ballistic Missile Industries
Treasury Sanctions Suppliers of Iranian UAVs Used to Target Ukraine’s Civilian Infrastructure
december 15, 2022
Continuing to Hold Russia to Account for its War against Ukraine
Furthering the United States’ Effort to Hold Russia to Account for its War Against Ukraine
Treasury Further Constrains Russia’s Financial Services Sector
december 9, 2022
Combating Global Corruption and Human Rights Abuses
November 15, 2022
November 14, 2022
Targeting Russia’s Global Military Procurement Network and Kremlin-Linked Networks
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
Statement from President Biden on Russia’s Attempts to Annex Ukrainian Territory
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
Fact Sheet: Targeting Russia’s Senior Officials, Defense Industrial Base, and Human Rights Abusers
Treasury Targets Additional Facilitators of Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine
Commerce Takes Further Actions to Expand and Tighten U.S. Export Controls on Russia and Belarus
September 8, 2022
August 2, 2022
Imposing Additional Costs on Russia for Its Continued War Against Ukraine
Fact Sheet: Imposing Additional Costs on Russia for Its Continued War Against Ukraine
July 28, 2022
Targeting Russia’s Global Malign Influence Operations and Election Interference Activities
July 13, 2022
Briefing: U.S. Sanctions on Russia
June 28, 2022
June 2, 2022
Targeting Russia’s Oligarchs and Vessels
Fact Sheet: United States Takes Further Actions to Counter Sanctions Evasion by Russia
Release: U.S. Treasury Severs More Networks Providing Support for Putin and Russia’s Elites
May 8, 2022
Release: U.S. Treasury Takes Sweeping Action Against Russia’s War Efforts
Fact Sheet: United States and G7 Partners Impose Severe Costs for Putin’s War Against Ukraine
Statement: G7 Leaders’ Statement
April 20, 2022
Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Abuses in Russia and Belarus and Taking Action Against Sanctions Evaders
Release: U.S. Treasury Designates Facilitators of Russian Sanctions Evasion
April 7, 2022
Further Targeting Russian State-Owned Enterprises
Release: The United States Sanctions Major Russian State-Owned Enterprises
April 6, 2022
Targeting Additional Russian Financial Institutions, Officials, and Other Individuals
Release: U.S. Treasury Escalates Sanctions on Russia for Its Atrocities in Ukraine
Fact Sheet: United States, G7 and EU Impose Severe and Immediate Costs on Russia
April 5, 2022
Sanctions on Darknet Market and Ransomware-Enabling Virtual Currency Exchange
March 31, 2022
Additional Sanctions on Russia’s Technology Companies and Cyber Actors
March 24, 2022
Sanctions on Additional Members of Russia’s Duma, Russian Elites, Bank Board Members, and Defense Entities
Fact Sheet: Targeting Elites of the Russian Federation
Fact Sheet: United States and Allies and Partners Impose Additional Costs on Russia
March 15, 2022
Treasury Sanctions Russians Connected to Gross Human Rights Violations and Corrupt Leader of Belarus
March 15, 2022
Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Abuses Perpetrated by the Governments of Russia and Belarus
March 15, 2022
U.S. Announces Sanctions on Key Members of Russia’s Defense Enterprise
March 11, 2022
Treasury Sanctions Kremlin Elites, Leaders, Oligarchs, and Family for Enabling Putin’s War Against Ukraine
Fact Sheet: Targeting Elites of the Russian Federation
Remarks by President Biden Announcing Actions to Continue to Hold Russia Accountable
March 3, 2022
Targeting Russian Elites and Defense Enterprises of Russian Federation
Release: Treasury Sanctions Russians Bankrolling Putin and Russia-Backed Influence Actors
March 2, 2022
U.S. Treasury Takes Additional Steps to Strengthen Compliance with Russia-Related Sanctions
February 28, 2022
Additional Measures Against the Russian Financial System
February 25, 2022
U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov
Statement: Imposing Sanctions on President Putin and Three Other Senior Russian Officials
February 24, 2022
U.S. Treasury Announces Unprecedented & Expansive Sanctions Against Russia, Imposing Swift and Severe Economic Costs
February 24, 2022
U.S. Treasury Targets Belarusian Support for Russian Invasion of Ukraine
February 23, 2022
Sanctioning NS2AG, Matthias Warnig, and NS2AG’s Corporate Officers
February 21, 2022
FACT SHEET: Executive Order to Impose Costs for President Putin’s Action to Recognize So-Called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics
Statement: Kremlin Decision on Eastern Ukraine
Export and Import Controls
The United States has imposed stringent export controls on Russia and on Belarus, which has helped enable Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
We continue to restrict Russian imports and exports, adding to and further tightening steps taken after Russia’s occupation of Crimea and invasion of the Donbas in 2014. Measures taken as a result of Putin’s recent actions include these:
- MAY 9, 2022
- Raimondo Announces Temporary Suspension of 232 Tariffs on Ukraine Steel
- April 21, 2022
- A Proclamation on the Declaration of National Emergency and Invocation of Emergency Authority Relating to the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Russian-Affiliated Vessels to United States Ports
- April 9, 2022
- Commerce Department Expands Restrictions on Exports to Russia and Belarus in Response to Ongoing Aggression in Ukraine
- April 7, 2022
- BIS Takes Enforcement Actions Against Three Russian Airlines Operating Aircraft in Violation of U.S. Export Controls
- April 1, 2022
Commerce Adds 120 Entities in Russia and Belarus to the Entity List, Further Limiting the Russian and Belarusian Militaries’ Access to Items That Support Aggression Against Ukraine - March 18, 2022
Commerce Department Identifies Commercial and Private Aircraft Exported to Russia in Apparent Violation of U.S. Export Controls - March 11, 2022
Commerce Restricts the Export of Luxury Goods to Russia and Belarus and to Russian and Belarusian Oligarchs and Malign Actors in Latest Response to Aggression Against Ukraine - March 11, 2022
Executive Order on Prohibiting Certain Imports, Exports, and New Investment with Respect to Continued Russian Federation Aggression - March 10, 2022
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibits Russian aircraft or any aircraft, regardless of the state of registry, owned, chartered, leased, operated or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, a Russian person or entity subject to U.S. sanctions from operating to, from, within, or through U.S. Territorial Airspace - March 8, 2022
United States Bans Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal - March 7, 2022
Commerce Announces Republic of Korea Exclusion Rule and Joint Statement of the Department of Commerce and Republic of Korea - March 4, 2022
Commerce Takes Further Actions to Target Russian Strategic Industries and Punish Enablers of Aggression - March 2, 2022
Commerce Imposes Sweeping Export Restrictions on Belarus for Enabling Russia’s Further Invasion of Ukraine - February 24, 2022
Commerce Imposes Sweeping Export Restrictions on Russia in Response to Further Invasion of Ukraine
Visa Restrictions
In order to promote accountability for human rights abuses and violations by the Russian Federation and the Lukashenka regime in Belarus, the United States has imposed a series of sanctions and visa restrictions. These actions target Russian and Belarusian officials, Russia’s proxy “authorities” in the parts of Ukraine it controls, and private individuals involved in human rights abuses, corruption and repression related to Putin’s premeditated and unjustified war against Ukraine and its people.
- August 2, 2022
- Imposing Additional Costs on Russia for its Continued War Against Ukraine
- June 28, 2022
- Targeting Russia’s War Machine, Sanctions Evaders, Military Units Credibly Implicated in Human Rights Abuses, and Russian Federation Officials Involved in Suppression of Dissent
- May 8, 2022
Targeting Russia’s Financial, Defense, and Marine Sectors and Promoting Accountability for Russian and Belarusian Military Officials - April 20, 2022
Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Abuses in Russia and Belarus and Taking Action Against Sanctions Evaders - March 15, 2022
Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Abuses Perpetrated by the Governments of Russia and Belarus
Private Sector Actions
As President Biden said earlier this week, the United States welcomes the decisions of companies to exit Russia because they want no part of Putin’s war of choice against Ukraine. An unofficial list names hundreds of U.S. companies that will stop doing business in Russia.
Justice and Accountability
Based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. As with any alleged crime, a court of law with jurisdiction over the crime is ultimately responsible for determining criminal guilt in specific cases.
That is why we are supporting a range of mechanisms to document and promote justice and accountability for war crimes and other atrocities committed in Ukraine. This includes helping to build Ukraine’s domestic capacity by supporting the work of the War Crimes Units under the Office of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General. It includes supporting international investigative and accountability-related mechanisms, including the robust new UN Commission of Inquiry, which we helped create, to investigate human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by Russia’s forces. We joined 44 other OSCE countries in launching an Expert Mission, with Ukraine’s support, to examine reported human rights abuses or violations and violations of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, by Russia’s forces in Ukraine. And it includes supporting the important work of human rights documenters in Ukraine.
We are committed to pursuing accountability for such acts using every tool available, including criminal prosecutions.
- March 23, 2022
War Crimes by Russia’s Forces in Ukraine