Ursula van der Leyen wants Vladimir Putin brought to justice

The United States announced new sanctions on Thursday targeting about two dozen Russian officials, including bankers, a neo-Nazi paramilitary group and a close friend of President Vladimir Putin, accused of coordinating the forced migration of Ukrainian children. These sanctions include freezing the assets of designated persons and restricting their financial transactions and, more generally, restricting access to international financial markets.

“The United States will continue to take strong action to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes, atrocities, and aggression.” In Ukraine, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

Twenty-two officials and companies have thus been blacklisted by the United States, notably relatives of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, whom he has already sanctioned, as well as senior officials of the Russian banking system, Vladimir Komlev, who heads the Mir payment system. .

At the same time, all exports to Russia and Belarus are being blocked, according to the Treasury, to the reconstruction efforts of the Russian military, which has suffered heavy losses in Ukraine.

Sanctions have been imposed on Maria Lavova-Belova, a close ally of the Russian president, who heads the Russian Presidential Commission on Children’s Rights and who has been charged. “Coordinated the Forced Migration of Thousands of Ukrainian Children to Russia”A press release said.

They also concern family members, including the wives and daughters of Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of the Russian republic of Chechnya. is provided as “Associate” Of the Russian president, he has “Extreme wealth with a house in the Emirates, a private zoo, luxury vehicles and a huge slush fund”According to the text.

Finally, the U.S. targets Task Force Rusich, a new Nazi paramilitary group associated with the Wagner group. Accused of fighting alongside Russian troops in UkraineEspecially near the city of Kharkiv in 2022. The Wagner Group is reputed to be associated with Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigogine, who is considered close to the Russian president.