Biden admin sanctions Kremlin spokesman, more oligarchs

The Biden administration on Thursday announced sanctions on eight prominent Russians with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as their family members, leveling additional penalties on Moscow for invading Ukraine.

The White House announced plans to impose full blocking sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, whose $600 million yacht was seized by Germany on Wednesday. The Biden administration is also sanctioning Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who the White House labeled a “top purveyor of Putin’s propaganda.”

“These individuals and their family members will be cut off from the U.S. financial system, their assets in the United States will be frozen and their property will be blocked from use,” reads a White House fact sheet announcing the new sanctions.

“The Department of Treasury will share financial intelligence and other evidence where appropriate with the Department of Justice to support criminal prosecutions and seizure of assets,” it continues.

The new sanctions will hit a handful of wealthy Russians with ties to the Kremlin, and some of their family members will also be targeted.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a briefing Thursday that the action would significantly impact those around Putin.

“What we’re talking about here is seizing their assets, seizing their yachts, and making it harder for them to send their children to colleges and universities in the West,” Psaki said.

The list includes Nikolai Tokarev, who heads Russian pipeline company Transneft; Boris Rotenberg, co-owner of gas pipeline construction company SGM Group; Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec Corporation and a close ally of Putin; former Russian deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov; and “Putin’s chef” Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

The administration also said it is imposing visa restrictions on 19 Russian oligarchs and 47 of their family members and close associates