US unveils sweeping new sanctions on Russia

Measures against Moscow and aid for Kyiv announced on anniversary of invasion of Ukraine

US President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery on a surprise visit to Kyiv. AP

The US on Friday unveiled a sweeping new sanctions package against Russia's economy aimed at hampering its ability to wage war against Ukraine, exactly one year since Moscow's invasion.

The sanctions will be accompanied by an additional $2 billion in military aid for Ukraine, including drones and ammunition.

These new actions will provide “Ukraine with the support it needs and [will hold] Russia accountable for its war of aggression”, the White House said.

Under the new sanctions, about 200 people and companies across Russia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East will be punished for supporting Russia's war effort.

The US Treasury Department said that includes companies building or importing high-tech equipment used by Russian military entities.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been able to sidestep some of the effects of global sanctions by selling its oil and energy at bargain prices to other countries, including India.

While this has been enough for President Vladimir Putin to keep funding his war, ordinary Russians have largely been frozen out of the global financial system and western sanctions have sought to punish thousands of companies, government officials, oligarchs and their families.

Among those named on Friday is Swiss-Italian businessman Walter Moretti, whom Washington claims has — along with a “network of associates and companies” — has “covertly procured sensitive western technologies and equipment for Russian intelligence”.

One year of the Russia-Ukraine war — in pictures

February 24 will be a year since Russia started the Ukraine war. The National picks out the most powerful images from the conflict. AFP

A member of Ukraine's 79th Air Assault Brigade fires a rocket-propelled grenade at Russian positions near Marinka in February. Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses MPs in Westminster Hall, London, in February 2023. Getty Images

Destroyed buildings 32km west of the front lines in Donetsk in January. Getty Images

An anti-aircraft gun in January fires at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk. Reuters

Destruction in the village of Bohorodychne, Donetsk. AFP

A Ukrainian artilleryman discards an empty shell on the outskirts of Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, in December 2022. AFP

Children receive presents from a Ukrainian soldier dressed as Santa on Christmas Eve in Sloviansk. Getty Images

More than 1,000 missiles and rockets fired by Russian forces collected for cataloguing in Kharkiv in December 2022. Getty Images

The Metro provides shelter as Russia launches another missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, in December 2022. Getty Images

Children at a PE class in Kyiv after Russia abandoned its attempt to seize the capital in November 2022. Getty Images

A sniper searches for Russian positions on the bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson in November 2022. Getty Images

Graffiti by Banksy on a wall among the debris in Borodyanka in November 2022. Getty Images

Ukrainian flags flutter around graves in a cemetery for soldiers killed in action in Kharkiv in October 2022. Getty Images

Parts of a drone, which Ukrainian authorities said was Iranian-made, after a Russian strike in Kyiv in October 2022. Reuters

An elderly woman is helped across a damaged bridge in Bakhmut in October 2022. Getty Images

Fuel tanks ablaze on damaged sections of the Kerch bridge in Crimea, in October 2022. Reuters

A destroyed bridge makes crossing the Donets river difficult, in Staryi Saltiv, east of Kharkiv, in September 2022. AFP

Firefighters at a thermal power plant in Kharkiv damaged by a Russian missile strike in September 2022. Reuters

Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr with his daughter Nikole at Lviv railway station in August 2022. Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then-British prime minister Boris Johnson read a plaque in Kyiv in August 2022 dedicated to the latter for his support. Getty Images

Destroyed Russian military equipment on Khreshchatyk street in Kyiv. The materiel was turned into an open-air military museum ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24. AFP

Shakhtar Donetsk v Metalist Kharkiv kicks off the Ukrainian Premier League season in August 2022 amid fears of bomb and missile alerts. EPA

Ukrainian servicemen fire an American-made 155mm M777 howitzer in July 2022 in the Kharkiv area. EPA

A bomb crater on the Antonovsky bridge across the Dnipro river in Kherson, July 2022. AFP

Maksym and Andrii with plastic guns at a 'checkpoint' they set up while playing in Kharkiv, July 2022. AP

Ukrainian troops on Snake Island in June 2022. Reuters

A woman evacuated from an area of conflict in June 2022 contemplates what the next move might be. AP

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Kyiv in June 2022. Getty Images

Graves in Irpin cemetery, May 2022. Getty Images

A Ukrainian soldier trapped within the besieged Azovstal Iron and Steel Works complex in Mariupol in May 2022. Reuters

The wreckage of a Russian helicopter in a bomb-cratered field in Biskvitne, May 2022. Getty Images

A Ukrainian army officer inspects a grain warehouse shelled by Russian forces in May 2022 near Novovorontsovka, Kherson. Getty Images

A boy from Mariupol arriving at an evacuation point in Zaporizhzhia in May 2022. Getty Images

A Russian serviceman on guard outside Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in May 2022. AFP

Oksana searches for salvageable items on the destroyed second floor of her home in Hostomel, April 2022. Getty Images

A floral memorial wall in Lviv for Ukrainian civilians killed during the Russian invasion, April 2022. Getty Images

People fleeing Lviv, eastern Ukraine, in April 2022, wait for a bus that will take them to Poland. Getty Images

A Russian soldier patrols a bombed Mariupol theatre in April 2022, as Moscow intensified its campaign to take the strategic port city. AFP

A Ukrainian celebrates success in Hostomel in April 2022. Getty Images

Julia Palovskaya reads to children during an air raid drill in the basement shelter at a preschool in Lviv, April 2022. Getty Images

Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Bucha in April 2022, where hundreds of bodies were found in the street and it was claimed the Russian leadership was responsible for killing civilians. AFP

Oleh Smolin, 23, who suffered leg injuries from Russian shelling in April 2022, in hospital in Chuhuiv. Getty Images

Fleeing refugees arrive at the border train station of Zahony, Hungary, in March 2022. Getty Images

A father says goodbye to his daughter on an evacuation train about to leave Odesa in March 2022. AFP

Ukrainians under a destroyed bridge as they try to cross the Irpin river on the outskirts of Kyiv in March 2022. AP

People cram into Kyiv station to catch trains to Poland or to western parts of Ukraine, shortly after the initial invasion in February 2022. Getty Images

A demonstration in support of Ukraine in Trafalgar Square, London, February 2022 . Getty Images

Russian army vehicles in Armyansk, Crimea, in February 2022. AFP

Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on February 25, 2022, in a video on Facebook. He said 'we are all here', shortly after the Russian invasion began. AFP

A residential building damaged by a missile strike in Kyiv in February 2022. Getty Images

A metro station in Kyiv in February 2022, crowded with people trying to escape the invasion. AFP

A police officer addresses people gathered to protest against the invasion of Ukraine, in central Saint Petersburg, Russia, February 2022. AFP

A protester in support of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany, in February 2022. Getty Images

Ukrainian soldiers prepare to repel an attack in Ukraine's Lugansk region on February 24, 2022. AFP

Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on February 24, 2022, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion. AFP

A mass exodus from Kyiv after pre-offensive missile strikes by Russian armed forces on February 24, 2022. Getty Images

Security personnel inspect the remains of a shell in Kyiv on February 24, 2022, soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. AFP

CCTV footage shows Russian military equipment crossing a Crimea border checkpoint on February 24, 2022. AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin early on February 24, 2022, when he announced a 'military operation' in Ukraine. AFP

The Treasury said Friday's designations included one of “the most significant sanctions actions to date”, announcing a new determination against Russia's metals and mining sector.

One of Russia's 10 largest banks, Credit Bank of Moscow Public Joint Stock Company, was also among those designated by Washington.

“Today’s action … further isolates Russia from the international economy and hinders Russia’s ability to obtain the capital, materials, technology, and support that sustain its war against Ukraine, which has killed thousands and displaced millions of people,” Treasury said in a statement.

The announcement came before an online meeting between President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the G7.

“Russia’s heinous attacks over the last 365 days have laid bare the cruelty of the ongoing aggression,” the G7 said in a joint statement afterwards.

The international political forum also reiterated that it is committed to holding Mr Putin accountable for the war, which has already led to more than 25,000 instances of alleged war crimes by Russian soldiers, according to USAID.

“We support exploring efforts to develop an international centre for the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” the G7 statement added.

The Pentagon's new aid package includes stockpiles of ammunition for 155mm artillery systems and Himars that “have proved so effective on the battlefield”, as well as mine clearing equipment and secure communications support equipment.

“One year on, the commitment of the United States, together with some 50 countries who have rallied to rush urgently needed assistance to Ukraine, has only strengthened,” the Department of Defence said.

The latest package also includes several new drone systems aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s air defences, as well as electronic warfare detection equipment.

Washington's support for Kyiv has far outweighed the rest of the world's response, with the US having committed $78 billion in humanitarian, financial and military assistance to Ukraine since January of last year, data from the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker shows.

The US will “continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements for as long as it takes”, the Pentagon said.

The anniversary comes after Mr Biden made a historic visit to Europe's eastern flank, including a surprise stop in Kyiv and a rousing speech in the Polish capital Warsaw, where he declared “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia” and touted Nato strength a year into the war.

“Biden’s speech aimed to rally the West and the international community so that they continue to support Ukraine as this war drags into a second year,” Stacie Pettyjohn, Director of the Defence Programme at the Washington-based Centre for a New American Security told The National.

“I’m confident that the US will continue to provide as much support as they can for Ukraine.”

In a meeting at Washington's Ukraine House, which is affiliated with the Ukrainian embassy, USAID administrator Samantha Power announced $250 million in additional aid aimed at strengthening Ukraine's energy sector.

Alongside Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova, Ms Power said that reviving the energy sector was “mission critical”.

Mr Putin has faced accusations of using winter as a weapon of war and attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the coldest months.

Ms Markarova delivered a message of gratitude to Washington for its ongoing support.

“This day is a difficult day,” she said, but expressed strength and confidence in her country by saying that “we will win this war”.

In addition, USAID announced it has begun formally disbursing $9.9 billion in direct budget support for the Ukrainian government, part of a larger support package passed by Congress in March.

Ms Markarova also addressed doubts from some Republican members of Congress about the degree to which Washington has financially supported Kyiv.

“Supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do … it is existential for everyone who believes in international world order,” she said.

Support shown around the world for Ukraine — in pictures

Supporters hold a Ukrainian flag at a solidarity march to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Budapest, Hungary. Reuters

A protest to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin. Reuters

Supporters in front of Helsinki Cathedral during Light for Ukraine candlelight memorial event at Senate Square in Helsinki, Finland. Reuters

Representatives stand for a moment of silence during the United Nations Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. AFP

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, with Ukrainian ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko, centre, his wife Inna and members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces outside 10 Downing Street in London, as they observe a minute's silence. AP

The Portuguese Parliament is lit with the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, in Lisbon AP

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government building is lit with the Ukraine national flag colours. Getty Images

Supporters carry Ukrainian flags during a demonstration in Bangkok. EPA

Ukrainian volunteers take part in prayers and observe a minute of silence, in south-east England. Getty

Protesters near the Russian embassy in Seoul, South Korea. EPA

People lay flowers at a monument of Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure Taras Shevchenko, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. AFP

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is lit up in the colours of Ukrainian flag. EPA

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo speaks alongside the Ukrainian ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, during the event. AFP

Watching video-mapping on the Czech Interior Ministry building, in Prague. EPA

A woman expresses her solidarity with Ukraine at the Czech National Theatre, in Prague. EPA

Activists place candles forming the peace sign in front of the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin. AP

A police officer raises the Ukrainian flag in front of the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt in Magdeburg, Germany. AP

A Vilnius University building is illuminated in blue and yellow in support of Ukraine, in Vilnius, Lithuania. AP

Ukrainian flags placed over the graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers in a military cemetery in Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine. EPA

A commemoration event with a light installation at the Field of Mars cemetery where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are buried, in Lviv, western Ukraine. Getty

Friends and relatives of fallen Ukrainian soldiers take part in a prayer as Rays of Memory illuminate the night sky over Lychakiv military cemetery in Lviv. EPA

Rays of memory illuminate the sky over Lychakiv military cemetery in Lviv. EPA

The National Opera of Ukraine building illuminated by Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, in Kyiv. Getty

A woman takes selfies in front of The National Opera of Ukraine, illuminated by Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter. Getty

A candlelit vigil in front of the Russian consulate, in New York. Reuters

Candles lit outside the Russian consulate in New York during a vigil to commemorate children killed in Ukraine. AFP

A silent candlelit vigil in New York. Reuters

A Trafalgar Square vigil organised by the Ukrainian and US embassies in London. AP

A vigil for Ukraine at Trafalgar Square in London. Reuters

The Trafalgar Square vigil. Reuters

Crowds gather at Trafalgar Square. AP

The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, addresses the London vigil. Reuters

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace speaks at the vigil. PA

Actress and activist Helen Mirren addresses the London vigil. PA

Teddy bears and other toys left by Ukrainian refugees and members of the Avaaz global activist network at Schuman Roundabout, in front of the European Commission, in Brussels. AP

The EU Council and Commission buildings illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. EPA

Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshnyi holds banknotes marking the first anniversary of Russia's invasion on Ukraine, in Kyiv. Reuters

Supporters gather at St Mary's Cathedral Square during the 365 Days Strong rally and candlelight vigil in Sydney. Getty

France's ambassador to Ukrain Etienne de Poncins, left, and the French Culture Minister Rima Abdul-Malak visit Independence Square in central Kyiv. AFP