Vladimir Putin’s daughters have been sanctioned by the United States in response to allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, the White House has confirmed. Katerina Tikhonova, 35, and Maria Vorontsova, 36, have now been targeted for the next round of sanctions, a senior Biden government official has said. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s wife and daughter will also be targeted by US sanctions. US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter: “I have made it clear that Russia will pay a serious and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha. “Today, together with our Allies and partners, we are announcing a new round of catastrophic sanctions.”
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The sanctions target politicians, oligarchs and other figures in the Russian president’s circle. Putin’s daughters are also expected to be subject to EU assets and travel bans this week after Mr Putin’s forces sparked global outrage over evidence of the Bucha massacre. The bloc’s ambassadors will sign the proposals on Wednesday. Ms. Vorontsova directs an investment program in the health sector, while Ms. Tikhonova heads an institute of artificial intelligence at Moscow State University. It is unclear whether either has assets outside Russia. Earlier this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia’s atrocities in Bucha “could not and would not go unanswered.” Other proposed EU sanctions would ban the purchase of Russian coal, prevent Russian ships from entering EU ports and suspend trade worth nearly 20 billion euros. The bloc is divided over imposing restrictions on Russian energy, as it supplies about a third of the country’s gas, but Ms. der Layen stressed that Europe must look for alternative energy sources. He said sanctions against four major Russian banks, including VTB’s second-largest, would cut them off altogether. Further sanctions will cover quantum computers and transport equipment to “degrade Russia’s technological base and industrial capacity,” he added. Germany has ruled out a direct embargo on gas – meaning a EU-wide decision cannot be adopted unanimously. Following a passionate speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United Nations Security Council, he called for new sanctions in response to reports of Russian war crimes. Meanwhile, the US is also expected to announce a new package of sanctions, including a ban on all new investment in Russia. The new measures will also target Russian state-owned enterprises and large financial institutions.
