The US expanded the sanctions list and introduced 21 citizens of Russia and Ukraine, as well as nine companies, it follows from the US Treasury Department document.

Also, the department specified the scope of restrictive measures for 12 firms.

The sanctions list included, in particular, Deputy Energy Minister Andrei Tcherezov and Head of the Department for Operational Control and Management in the Electric Power Industry of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Grabcha, 10 ministers of self-proclaimed People's Democratic Republic and the People's Republic of Germany and Sevastopol's head Dmitry Ovsyannikov.

Among the companies - "Power Machines", "Technopromexport" and a number of subsidiaries of Surgutneftegaz.

As pointed out by the Ministry of Finance, the expansion of the list is partly caused by gas turbine supplies to the Crimea, the reunification of which with Russia the US does not recognize. In addition, the new restrictions are part of the obligations "to maintain the sanctions pressure on Russia" until the full implementation of the Minsk agreements on the Donbas.

According to Senator Vladimir Jabarov, the new US sanctions to politics do not have a relationship, it's a trade war.

Link: https://iz.ru/700907/2018-01-27/ssha...-protiv-rossii