US sanctions Russia's second-largest bank over ties to Iran
Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (Getty Images)
The US has added Russia's second-largest bank, VTB, to sanctions lists related to Iran, according to a press release from the US Treasury Department.
"Today, under Operation Economic Outcast, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated prominent Russian financial institution, VTB Bank Public Joint Stock Company (VTB Bank) for its involvement in Iranian sanctions evasion," the US department said.
The press release also included a comment from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who promised that the department "will continue to target and disrupt those who provide material, technological, or financial support that allows the Iranian regime to sustain its terrorist enterprise."
Today, EU countries failed to reach an agreement in Brussels on extending sanctions against Russia. Consensus could not be reached due to disputes over two Russian oligarchs, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
According to Radio Svoboda journalist Rikard Jozwiak, EU countries extended the sanctions against Russia for only one week. At the same time, the European Union plans to significantly expand its sanctions restrictions.
Earlier, Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov called on the EU not to ease the sanctions regime so that Russian oligarchs could not continue financing Russia's war machine.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that Jozwiak had previously said France and Slovakia were blocking the extension of EU sanctions against Russia. The countries demanded that restrictions on Fridman and Usmanov be lifted.
