The United States imposed sanctions on more than 400 entities and individuals on Friday for supporting Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine, including companies from China and Turkey, the State Department said.
The US Treasury Department targeted transnational networks involved in procuring materials for Russia, including firms shipping machine tools and microelectronics.
The State Department’s sanctions aimed to disrupt Russia’s energy sector and military supply chains. China criticized the sanctions, defending its trade with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the new sanctions, emphasizing the need to maintain pressure on Russia.
The United States has recently warned Turkey of potential consequences if it does not halt the export of US military-linked hardware to Russia, according to a Financial Times report.
Matthew Axelrod, assistant commerce secretary, recently met with Turkish officials and executives to address the issue, emphasizing the need to stop the flow of American-origin technology that supports Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine.
The US is particularly concerned about Turkey’s role in facilitating the transfer of critical components like processors and machine tools to Russia, despite ongoing sanctions.
The US Treasury has already added Turkish companies to its entities list and sanctioned others for their involvement but insists that further action is needed. Turkey’s trade ministry has not commented on the allegations, although reports indicate a slight decline in such exports from their peak earlier in 2023.