The Growing U.S. Sanctions List Against Russia

Twenty Russian individuals and one Russian bank have been added to the U.S. sanctions list, which freezes targets' assets within -- and travel to -- the United States. Unlike the previous list, the expanded sanctions list includes many figures who are powerful within Russia. Those on the previous list, such as Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin and presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, openly mocked the list, calling it a badge of honor for a Russian. The tone of the new list is more serious, but it does not include any official with major connections to or assets in the United States.

Although the list still is mostly symbolic, Obama said that the sanctions are targeting not just those who are responsible for events in Ukraine but also those who support the leadership, namely Putin. The expanded list includes members of Putin's inner circle -- the so-called Politburo -- who personally organize the behind-the-scenes maneuvers for Putin, along with some of the president's personal friends. A seemingly unimportant bank that has quiet ties to Russian natural gas giant Gazprom is also on the list. Obama is sending the message that he understands how Putin operates, even if the sanctions do not impede such operations.

The White House did not place individuals who would halt negotiations with Ukraine or the West, such as Putin himself or Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the list. Obama said that he wanted to ensure that lines of communication would remain open, leaving the sanctions as a message for now. What is important to watch is how Putin interprets the new U.S. sanctions list. So far, the list only nominally harms Russia -- it is an irritant for some Kremlin members' travel (for example, Ivanov) and will change how Gazprom uses Bank of Russia. But the list does not have a larger effect on Russia or the individuals listed, since they have minimal links with the United States. Russia has many tools at its disposal to complicate the United States' position in the world, such as providing support for Iran, manipulating Russia's economic and energy relations with U.S. allies in Europe and targeting the operations of U.S. firms working in Russia. All are options for Putin, even if they come with a cost to Moscow in the long run.

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