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The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on current and former Ukrainian officials, accusing them of working with the Russian intelligence service to destabilize Ukraine.
The decision comes as Washington warned it was prepared to take further action if Russia invades the former Soviet republic.
Moscow has amassed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine, and Western nations fear it is planning a new offensive against the country. Russia has denied the allegations, but said it could take indefinite military action if its demands are not met.
“We are not waiting to respond to Russia, we are currently taking steps. This shows that we stand by the Ukrainian government in seeking to identify, expose and block Russia’s destabilization efforts within Ukraine.“An official from the US administration told reporters.
The United States targeted two members of the Ukrainian parliament, Taras Kozak and Oleh Voloshyn, as well as former officials Volodymyr Oliynyk and Vladimir Sivkovich, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The latter said the designated individuals operate under the command of the Russian Security Service (FSB) and have played a role in Russia’s campaign to destabilize sovereign countries.
Taras Kozak controls several news channels in Ukraine. He has backed plans to denigrate members of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s inner circle, and has falsely accused him of mismanagement, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The US accuses Oleh Voloshyn of working with Russia to undermine Ukrainian officials.
Volodymyr Oliynyk, who fled Ukraine to Russia, is working with the FSB to gather information about Ukraine’s core infrastructure, while former National Security and Defense Council official Vladimir Sivkovich is accused of trying to get Ukraine to ‘officially give Crimea to Russia.
Thursday’s action was the most recent undertaken by Washington targeting Russian disinformation and intervention, said a second senior US administration official.
“They come in addition to a series of sanctions that we are prepared to take with allies and partners to impose heavy costs on Russia and its economy if it further invades Ukraine in the future.“, Said the official.
Asked if the United States was planning to impose sanctions on Russia’s participation in the SWIFT financial system if Moscow invades Ukraine, a US official said: “All options are on the table“.
Western nations said Thursday they would be united in responding strongly to any Russian attack on Ukraine, in a bid to minimize the damage following a statement by President Joe Biden, who suggested a split over how to respond to a “one-size-fits-all.” small incursion ”.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Russian intelligence services had recruited Ukrainian officials to provide access to sensitive information ahead of a possible invasion.
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