Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States and its allies prepared a list containing Russian elites within or close to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle for economic sanctions in case Russia invades Ukraine. A senior administration official stated Monday.

According to the official, who spoke under anonymity, “The people we identified are either within or close to the Kremlin inner circle and are involved in government decision-making or are at the minimum complicit with the Kremlin’s destabilizing behaviors.”

According to the official, specific sanctions have been developed by the United States for Russian officials who fulfill the criteria as well as their families. These efforts are coordinated with U.S allies and partners.

The United States and its allies have a plan to target Russian oligarchs as part of their plans to punish Putin if he invades Ukraine. Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has not ruled out putting sanctions on Putin https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-seeks-protect-europes-energy-supplies-if-russia-invades-ukraine-2022-01-25 himself.

U.S. officials have already detailed other penalties https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-us-could-hit-russia-smartphone-aircraft-part-imports-if-it-invades-2021-12-21 that include sanctions on Russian financial institutions and export control measures that could attempt to choke off broad swaths of industrial and consumer technologies to Russia.

An official refused to name Russian officials who might be sanctioned.

According to the official, “There’s a large list of individuals that we can draw from,” he said. Noting that many will be drawn from a classified Russian-Russian list of high ranking political figures and oligarchs outlined under Section 241 (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) in a 2018 report submitted to Congress.

According to the official, “We can’t disclose the contents or identify specific names because of flight risks. But it provides plenty targets and family networks involved with stashing their assets.”

Officials stated that many are vulnerable because of their deep financial ties to Western countries.

Putin’s associates will be no longer able to use spouses and other relatives as proxy to avoid sanctions. The official said that sanctions would be used to cut off their access from the international financial market and prevent them and their families from enjoying the benefits of spending their money in the West as well as elite universities.