The White House announced additional sanctions on Russia and provided additional security assistance to Ukraine on Friday, the day marking the one-year anniversary of the war.
The sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions, energy capabilities and technology and defense industries will be made in coordination with G7 partners and allies, and are intended “to further degrade Russia’s economy and diminish its ability to wage war against Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement.
The sanctions will also target Russian exports and will increase tariffs on Russian products.
The military aid package includes new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), ammunition for 155mm artillery systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), mine clearing equipment and secure communications support equipment, the statement read.
G7 leaders have committed $39 billion to Ukraine for budget and economic support in 2023, and the White House has pledged $250 million to strengthen Ukraine’s energy grid from Russian attacks.
TOPSHOT – An unidentified soldier’s body lies near a burning Russian Armoured personnel carrier (APC) during fighting with the Ukrainian armed forces in Kharkiv, on February 27, 2022. (Photo by Sergey BOBOK / AFP) (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images)
The package comes days after President Joe Biden traveled to Poland and Ukraine to reaffirm U.S. commitment to the region and to NATO. Biden’s trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, was unannounced, and the president traveled in secret via a 10-hour train ride through the country to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Biden delivered remarks in Warsaw, Poland, about restoring democracy around the world, and addressed the Russian people about stopping the war. (RELATED: Biden Says US Does ‘Not Seek To Control Or Destroy’ Russia During Speech In Poland)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Friday, “One year ago today, President Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine following months of deceit about why Russia had amassed huge numbers of soldiers on Ukraine’s border. It was then that Russia’s forces illegally crossed into Ukraine’s sovereign territory to wage a war that has needlessly killed tens of thousands of people and harmed millions more.”
“President Putin’s decision has ripped apart families, forced millions from their communities, destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, exacerbated a global food crisis, destabilized energy markets, and undermined international peace and security. This war has shredded Russia’s international reputation, left Russia weakened and isolated, and decimated its economy,” Blinken added.