…This week, the West has pushed out a coordinated effort to punish Russia following its move into separatist territories in Ukraine.
…Moscow is now vowing a “strong” and “well-calibrated” response to the West’s actions.
…Ukraine took a series of steps on February 23 to bolster its security, calling up military reservists aged 18-60 and preparing to declare a 30-day state of emergency.
Moscow lashed back angrily against sanctions announced by the United States, vowing a “strong response” to a series of measures unveiled by President Joe Biden against Russian banks and individuals.
“There should be no doubt — sanctions will meet a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but well-calibrated and sensitive for the American side,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on February 23.
Over the past two days, the United States and its Western allies have set a coordinated effort to punish Moscow with sanctions after President Vladimir Putin said he would recognize the independence bids of territories held by separatists in eastern Ukraine and send troops there.
The move came after Russia amassed at least 150,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, prompting fears of a full-scale invasion.
Fading hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis took another blow on February 22 when the White House said that a potential summit between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin was off the table for now.
That came after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was calling off his scheduled meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in view of Moscow’s actions against Ukraine.
Other Western allies, including the European Union, Britain, Australia, Canada, and Japan, have also set sanctions against Moscow, often after consultations with Washington.
The two banks designated are Russia’s Promsvyazbank, the bank of the armed forces, and Kremlin-controlled VEB bank, the nation’s development bank. Together the two banks hold $80 billion in assets, a senior administration official said in a call with reporters after Biden announced the sanctions.
The United States also sanctioned Aleksandr Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB); Kremlin First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kirienko; and Promsvyazbank CEO Pyotr Fradkov. Their families are also sanctioned.
The official said that, if the invasion proceeds, Washington is ready to take further action on the largest Russian financial institutions, including Sberbank and VTB, which collectively hold almost $750 billion in assets or more than half of all the assets held by Russian banks.
“This was the beginning of an invasion and this is the beginning of our response. If Putin escalates further, we will escalate further, using both financial sanctions and export controls,” the senior administration official said.
Russia invaded and seized Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014 and has since aided separatists in eastern Ukraine in their bloody conflict with the government in Kyiv.
Moscow had denied it was planning to invade Ukraine prior to Putin’s order on February 21 to send troops into the separatist areas, saying they were needed to keep the peace and protect civilians — claims the West quickly dismissed.
Ukraine took a series of steps on February 23 to bolster its security, calling up military reservists aged 18-60 and preparing to declare a 30-day state of emergency.
However, the country’s leaders also strived to ensure that calm was maintained, saying there was no need for a general mobilization of troops at this time and vowing not to give up any of its territories.
It also urged its citizens to avoid travel to Russia and for those there to leave “immediately,” citing a possible disruption of consular assistance amid rising tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in comments on February 23 that he and his army were ready to stand against any possible moves by Russia and Russia-backed separatists.
He also said he expects further sanctions on Russia against Ukraine from Kyiv’s Western partners.
NB: RFE/RL wrote this article for oilprice. Com
