Treasury Slaps New Sanctions on Russia, Alleging Cyber and North Korea Violations

FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Treasury Slaps New Sanctions on Russia, Alleging Cyber and North Korea Violations

Aug. 22, 2018 (EIRNS)—The U.S. Treasury Department announced yesterday that it is imposing new sanctions on Russian firms and individuals, on grounds of attempting to evade U.S. sanctions punishing Moscow for malicious cyber security attacks, and for deceit in North Korean trade.

The Treasury Department sanctioned two Russian entities for aiding another Russian company, Divetechnoservices, that was sanctioned in June for providing underwater equipment and diving systems to Russia’s domestic security service, the FSB. U.S. officials also slapped sanctions on two Russian individuals for helping Divetechnoservices circumvent U.S. sanctions.

According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin,

“the action against these deceptive actors is critical to ensure that the public is aware of the tactics undertaken by designated parties and that these actors remain blocked from the U.S. financial system.... The Treasury Department is disrupting Russian efforts to circumvent our sanctions.”

TASS also reports that sanctions apply to six Russian vessels for violating U.S. sanctions regarding North Korea.

Related to this, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her Facebook page yesterday that anti-Russia sanctions are important to the upcoming U.S. elections, implying, that they are employed for the purpose of manipulating public perception. Her observation came in response to the recent announcement by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation Christopher Ford that Washington is ready to impose new sanctions on Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 elections.