Report on Kremlin-approached Russian oligarchs should be submitted to the US Congress until January 29, 2018.
The US authorities are planning to announce in the near future new restrictive measures against the “Russian oligarchs” within the framework of the law “On Countering America’s Opponents through Sanctions,” which was signed by President Donald Trump in August 2017.
This was stated on Thursday, January 11, by the head of the US Treasury Steven Mnuchin during a briefing in the White House.
A video of Briefing Munchina is posted on the YouTube channel of the White House. One of the journalists asked the head of the US Treasury (question on the 11th minute of the video) about the list of “Russian oligarchs” against which American sanctions are planned to be imposed.
“This is what we are working on. It should appear in the near future. This is something on which we are very focused, “the head of the US Ministry of Finance said in response.
The Law on Countering America’s Agents through Sanctions (HR 3364), providing for toughening of unilateral American sanctions against Russia, Iran and the DPRK, was almost unanimously approved by the House of Representatives of the US Congress on July 25, 2017.
On July 27, the bill was approved by the US Senate. The US president admitted that the new law has “significant defects” that undermine the authority of the head of state and could damage the ability of the US to work with its allies, including hindering the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. But nevertheless, on August 2 I put my signature under the document.
– Personal sanctions –
Articles 241 and 243 of the new law expand de facto the possibility of imposing sanctions on “the most significant high-ranking politicians and oligarchs”, determined by “their proximity to the Russian regime and the size of their condition,” by “their relationship with President Putin or other members of the ruling Russian elite”, on their “involvement in corruption”, as well as on the state, sources of income, assets, business interests of both themselves and their families, including spouses, children, parents and siblings.
The new law comes into force in February 2018. His article 241 instructs US government agencies to prepare and submit to Congress a report on Russian oligarchs and quasi-state structures no later than 180 days after the law enters into force-that is, until January 29, 2018. After that, Congress will decide to impose sanctions against those who fall into the “Kremlin report”.
On January 11, the Kommersant newspaper reported , citing sources in US government agencies, that more than 50 people could be involved in the new “blacklist”, and up to 300 with family members.
It should be recalled that sanctions were introduced against those persons whom Washington regards as “friends” of Putin, were introduced by the United States immediately after the accession of the Crimea in March 2014. Then Gennady Timchenko, Yury Kovalchuk, Arkady Rotenberg and Boris Rotenberg got on the US sanctions list.
The Ministry of Finance of the United States then explained that businessmen were on the “black list” as members of the closest circle of the Russian president’s circle. The US also extended sanctions on companies associated with these billionaires, including the Volga group, OOO Transoil, Stroytransgaz, Aquanika (OOO Russkoe Vremya), Avia Group and Sakhatrans.
In December 2017, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that there are about 200 Russian citizens and 402 Russian legal entities under American sanctions.
– Sectoral sanctions –
The CAATSA law also provides for the expansion of sectoral sanctions against the Russian economy and the imposition of restrictions on Russian energy projects, including in Europe (we are talking about projects where 33% or more belong to Russian sub-contracting companies).
The document provides for sanctions against companies that are going to invest in the construction of Russian export pipelines more than $ 5 million per year or 1 ml at the same time, as well as provide services or provide information support.
A separate point of the law is the US desire to “counteract the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.” This includes, inter alia, the reduction of the maximum period for the market financing of banks under sanctions, up to 14 days, and oil and gas companies – up to 30 days.
The law provides that all US and foreign companies that committed a “significant transaction” after August 2, 2017 with any Russian company included in the US State Department’s sanctions list, will be subject to similar sanctions. It’s about freezing accounts, restricting the export of American goods to the offender, prohibiting loans in the US, denial of American visas.
In October 2017, the US State Department published a list of Russian companies that are prohibited from doing business with. It included 33 enterprises or concerns, including Kalashnikov, Izhmash, Tupolev, Almaz-Antey, Rosoboronexport, Rostek, MiG, Sukhoi, Admiralteyskie Verfi, Izhevsky Mechanical Plant, Oboronprom, Uralvagonzavod, Helicopters of Russia, Constellation.