The Trump administration issued sanctions against Russia for its meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, a cyberattack known as NotPetya and the nerve agent assassination of a former Russian spy turned double agent in the U.K.
The Wall Street Journal reports the sanctions specifically target Russian intelligence agencies, including five entities and 19 individuals. Among the individuals are 13 recently indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller for their role in social media schemes to influence the election. Two of the five entities include Russia’s Federal Security Service and the Main Intelligence Directorate. All properties of these entities and individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked as are all transactions with Americans or American businesses.
“These targeted sanctions are a part of a broader effort to address the ongoing nefarious attacks emanating from Russia,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
The sanctions were made public on the same day President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a rare joint public statement condemning the “first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War” by Russia in its attack against Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, They further condemned the assassination by nerve agent as “an assault on U.K. sovereignty” and “a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law.”
The previous day, Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Moscow.
Russia is expected to retaliate.
