March 25, 2022

US, G7 freeze Russian gold amid Ukraine war: All you need to know

Source: Al Jazerra

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its second month, Western powers have taken new action aimed at destabilising Russia’s sanctions-hit economy following its invasion of Ukraine last month.

On Thursday, the United States and its allies announced further sanctions targeting Russia’s defence sector, among others, and blocked financial transactions involving the Russian central bank’s international reserves of gold.

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Experts say the transactions ban would in effect apply secondary sanctions on people who trade in gold with Russia.

“It is another way to close sanctions loopholes, and increase economic pressure on Russian entities,” Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told The Associated Press news agency.

Read the full story and more from Al Jazeera.

Author

  • Rachel Ziemba

    Adjunct Senior Fellow, Energy, Economics, & Security Program

    Rachel Ziemba is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Her research focuses on the interlinkages between economics, finance and security i...