US imposes new sanctions on Russia's financial sector

United States has imposed new sanctions on Russian financial interests, targeting one of its richest businessmen, and Russian commercial bank Rosbank.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday, the Department of State is imposing sanctions on Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs and a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, and three members of his immediate family and his company, Interros. The US said, Russia’s former deputy Prime Minister, Potanin has direct ties to President Vladimir Putin.

In addition, the US Department of State



blacklisted Rosbank, a Russia-based commercial bank. The Department said, the bank was acquired by Potanin earlier this year, along with 17 subsidiaries of Russian VTB, the country’s second-largest bank.

The US State Department also imposed sanctions on members of the Board of Directors of the state-owned Russian Railways, members of the government, including the Governor of the Moscow region, and their family members. The sanctions freeze whatever US assets those blacklisted might hold, and generally bar Americans from any financial deals with them.