US State Department expects new anti-Russia sanctions to come into effect August 27
The latest package of US sanctions against Russia, announced earlier this month under the pretext of punishing Moscow for its alleged role in the Skripal poisoning, is not expected to come into effect before August 27.
"The notification… elapsed on August 22. We have submitted the Federal Register Notice enacting the sanctions and expect that it will be published on August 27th," the US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik.
Washington announced its latest anti-Russian sanctions on August 8, baldly accusing Moscow of using “chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law.” At the time the department’s spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the measures were scheduled to go into effect on or around August 22.
The accusation comes despite there being zero evidence suggesting Moscow was behind the March attack, besides the ‘highly likely’ mantra perpetually reiterated by the UK authorities refusing to share any details of their investigations, conducted in secrecy.
The proposed sanctions include, in particular, a ban on supplies of dual-purpose electronic devices and components to Russia. The US government also threatened Moscow with another round of sanctions in about two months, that might include banning Russian carrier Aeroflot's flights to the US.
In addition, this week the US Treasury Department has imposed ‘unrelated’ sanctions on two Russian individuals, three companies and six Russian-flagged ships, over alleged business ties with North Korea – in violation of international sanctions. The US government also tied the measure to Russia’s alleged activity in global cyberspace, according to a release published on the Treasury website on Tuesday.
Moscow will give a tit-for-tat response to the expansion of US blacklists of Russian companies and individuals, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Thursday. “We have been watching the US lists expand,” he said in Geneva on Thursday. “They currently contain about 450 Russian economic entities.” In fact, all the major financial, energy and defense companies have been sanctioned, as well as a great many other big and small entities and a significant number of state officials, Ryabkov noted. “The Americans should not think they have impunity.”
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