US to impose more sanctions targeting Russia's defense, aerospace and maritime sectors: White House

The US Commerce Department will impose further sanctions on Russia ratcheting up pressure on Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine, according to the White House.

The new sanctions to be unveiled in the coming days will target Russia's defense, aerospace and maritime sectors, spokesperson Kate Bedingfield told a news conference on Thursday.

The department's move will add 120 entities from Russia and Belarus to its entity list, bringing the number of Russian and Belarusian parties on the list to over 200 since the military operation began in Ukraine in late February, Bedingfield added.

"In the coming days, the Ministry of Commerce will take further actions to worsen the positions of the Russian defense, aerospace and maritime sectors by adding 120 more organizations from Russia and Belarus to the sanctions list," she said.

"Being added to this list means these entities can no longer get US cutting-edge technology without a license which will in most, if not all of these cases, be denied," she added.

This comes just hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions on dozens of Russian individuals and entities.

“These designations will further impede Russia’s access to western technology and the international financial system,” Blinken said in a statement on Thursday. “We will continue to target [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin’s war machine with sanctions from every angle until this senseless war of choice is over.”

Ex-president says sanctions won't sway Russia as conflict enters second month

Former president Dmitry Medvedev says sanctions won’t sway Russia as the West cranks up pressure on Moscow and the conflict with Ukraine enters the second month. 

Meanwhile, senior US officials have this week attempted to press world leaders to keep increasing pressure on Russia or join the campaign of sanctions and other measures.

While US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo met with senior officials in London, Brussels and Paris, and will finish the week in Berlin, the deputy national security adviser for international economics, Daleep Singh, met and pressed Indian officials in New Delhi.

Blinken himself discussed the Ukraine conflict with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Morocco.

The Biden administration has imposed harsh economic and banking sanctions on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden said the sanctions would limit Russia's ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen. He claimed that the only other alternative to the sanctions would be to start a “Third World War.”

Putin said earlier this month that Western sanctions on Russia were akin to a declaration of war.

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