US threatens Russia with unprecedented sanctions

If Moscow encroaches on Ukraine’s sovereignty, the US will impose sanctions against Russia like no one has ever seen before, Vice President Kamala Harris warned on Sunday.

In an interview with CBS, on Sunday, American Vice President Kamala Harris said that Washington is coordinating its position with allies and is making sure that the Kremlin is aware of the possible consequences of military action.

“We are having direct conversations with Russia. The president, as you know, met recently virtually with Putin, and we are very clear that Russia should not invade the sovereignty of Ukraine, that we must stand up and we are standing up for its territorial integrity,” she said. “We are working with our allies in that regard, and we’ve been very clear that we are prepared to issue sanctions like you’ve not seen before.”

This is not the first time that Washington has announced possible unprecedented action against Russia. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that, in the event of a military conflict between Moscow and Kiev, the US would impose “high-impact economic measures” on Russia that it had “refrained from using in the past.” This was similarly echoed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. 

The threat of economic measures follows claims from Western media outlets and politicians that Moscow has begun to concentrate troops on its border with Ukraine, with the view to launching an offensive in the near future. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied the accusations, stating that Russia is simply moving its armed forces within its territory and that reports of an attack are groundless.

Last week, British news agency Reuters claimed that the White House is considering the possibility of banning exports of consumer and industrial technologies to Russia, such as components for smartphones and planes. This, as part of a larger sanctions package, could seriously affect consumers, industrial operations, and employment.

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