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US authorities are preparing financial sanctions against “pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine”, claims The Wall Street Journal . The publication notes that this decision underlines the doubts in the US government regarding the introduction of direct restrictions on the leadership of the Russian Federation.
The White House hopes to exert “diplomatic pressure on Russia” through sanctions against “pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine”, wrote on Tuesday, January 18, the newspaper The Wall Street Journal.
Expected, that restrictions will be imposed on four individuals. Officially, restrictive measures will be announced on January 20.
Such a decision underlines the “some indecision” of the American government in the issue of imposing direct sanctions against the leadership of the Russian Federation in the event of an escalation in Ukraine, the newspaper notes .
Recently, in Western countries, as well as in Kiev, there have been statements about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov called such information empty and baseless escalation of tension. He stressed that Russia poses no threat to anyone. At the same time, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations to justify such statements and warned that attempts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by force would have the most serious consequences.
Blinken goes to Kiev and Geneva
On January 19, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will visit Kiev, where he will meet with the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba , and on January 20 he will be in Berlin. In the German capital, he will hold talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.
On January 21, that is, the day after the expected announcement of the proposed sanctions, Blinken will meet with Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov in Geneva to continue diplomatic cooperation on security issues.
How they are trying to influence Russia
The United States believes that the possibility of stopping the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project
is an an effective lever of influence on Russia in the context of the situation around Ukraine, said, in turn, White House Press Secretary
Jen Psak i.
She was asked if the US had guarantees from the German government that Nord Stream 2 would be stopped in the event of Russia’s “invasion” of Ukraine. Psaki drew attention to the fact that the certification of the pipeline has already been stopped at the moment.
“And we continue to believe that stopping the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is effective a tool with which we can put pressure on Russia at the moment,” she says.
Psaki also asked to comment on reports that the US and European Union allegedly no longer consider the option of disconnecting the Russian Federation from the SWIFT international interbank system in the event of its “invasion” into Ukraine.
“No option is not excluded, ”concluded the representative of the White House.
The construction of Nord Stream 2 was fully completed on September 10, 2021. To launch the gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2 AG needs to obtain registration as an independent transport operator. On November 16, the German Federal Network Agency suspended certification due to organizational and legal issues. The regulator noted that the process will be resumed when the firm, headquartered in the Swiss city of Zug, transfers the fixed capital relating to the German segment to the ownership of the German subsidiary.
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