(NewsNation Now) — The White House released a list of “Putin’s cronies,” and their families — ultrawealthy oligarchs — who will be targeted by the U.S. and other countries for continuing to support President Vladimir Putin “despite his brutal invasion of Ukraine.”
“The United States and governments all over the world will work to identify and freeze the assets Russian elites and their family members hold in our respective jurisdictions – their yachts, luxury apartments, money, and other ill-gotten gains,” the White House announced Thursday.
The Russian elites and their families will be cut off from U.S. financial systems and they will be blocked from using their assets in the United States, including property.
Among those targeted is Alisher Usmanov, a Russian metals tycoon and close ally of Vladimir Putin. Usmanov’s $600 million superyacht has already been seized by German authorities. His private jet, one of Russia’s largest privately-owned aircraft, is also blocked from the United States, the White House said.
The U.S. has also sanctioned Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the White House calling him “a top purveyor of Putin’s propaganda.”
“These oligarchs are known to direct, authorize, fund, significantly support, or carry out malign
activities in support of Russia’s destabilizing foreign policy,” the White House said.
The State Department also announced a new visa restriction policy targeting 19 Russian oligarchs, their 47 family members and close associates.
The administration will also sanction seven Russian entities, and 26 individuals in Russia and Ukraine, who the U.S. says are contributing to disinformation and spreading false narratives that have advanced Russian strategic objectives.
Here’s the list of Russian oligarchs who will be sanctioned and their assets to be targeted:
• Nikolai Tokarev (his wife Galina, daughter Mayya, and his two luxury real estate
companies)
• Boris Rotenberg (his wife Karina, sons Roman and Boris)
• Arkady Rotenberg (his sons Pavel and Igor, daughter Liliya)
• Sergei Chemezov (his wife Yekaterina, son Stanislav and stepdaughter Anastasiya)
• Igor Shuvalov (his five companies, wife Olga, son Evgeny and his company and
jet, and his daughter Maria and her company)
• Yevgeniy Prigozhin (his three companies, wife, Polina, daughter Lyubov, son Pavel)
• Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s press secretary
• Alisher Usmanov (his superyacht, one of the world’s largest, just seized by Germany, and his private jet, one of Russia’s largest privately-owned aircraft)
On Wednesday, former Treasury Department spokeswoman Hagar Chemali told NewsNation that seizing oligarchs’ assets is more straightforward than many expect.
“The U.S. Treasury Department is the only finance ministry in the world with its own intelligence shop with analysts that receive intelligence and analyze it for the expressed purpose of disrupting and dismantling criminal financial networks,” Chemali said.
Now that the Treasury Department has zeroed in on a list of targets, the U.S. has the authority to freeze any assets in America’s jurisdiction.
“Once they’re seized, the assets go into a law enforcement slush fund that then finance future law enforcement efforts,” she said.
gallery: the russian oligarchs targeted by the u.s.
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