The U.S. Sanctions a Deputy Minister and Several Russian Energy Companies

On Friday, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on several Russian officials and energy companies. Additional punitive measures against Russia may be announced in the coming days. The U.S. has previously imposed sanctions on Russia due to the annexation of Crimea and Moscow's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Friday that 21 individuals and 9 companies, including some involved in the transfer of a Siemens gas turbine to Crimea, have been added to the sanctions list. The agency added that the announced cases are unrelated to a report expected to be published by Monday. The U.S. Treasury stated, "Today's actions are part of this agency's commitment to continue sanctions against Russia. This action underscores the U.S. government's opposition to the annexation of Crimea and its refusal to recognize this act." One of the individuals added to the sanctions list is Andrei Chersov, the Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia, who has also been sanctioned by the European Union for his involvement in the transfer of the gas turbine to Crimea. Sergey Topur Gilka, the director of a Russian engineering company called Technopromexport, and several contracting companies and subsidiaries of the oil company Surgutneftegaz are among others added to the sanctions list. A spokesperson for Rostec, which has already been sanctioned by the U.S. and is the parent company of Technopromexport, said the company regrets that the main tool of the U.S. government in international relations is pressure rather than dialogue. The new U.S. sanctions against Russia were announced on the same day that the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine met with his Russian counterpart to discuss ways to resolve the conflict. On the same day, Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, met and discussed with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2014 and the annexation of Crimea, a number of individuals and entities in Russia, as well as leaders of separatists in Ukraine, have been targeted by a series of sanctions from the United States and the European Union, including asset freezes, travel bans, and related economic restrictions. Additionally, according to Reuters, the U.S. government is likely to publish a detailed report by Monday, including details of further sanctions against Russia for its interference in the 2016 presidential election. The Russian government has consistently denied allegations of interference in the U.S. elections.