WASHINGTON: The US Treasury Department’s top sanctions official, on a trip to Turkiye and the Middle East next week, will warn countries and businesses that they could lose access to G7 markets if they do business with entities subject to curbs as Washington cracks down on Russian attempts to evade sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine.

Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, will travel to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye next week and meet government officials, as well as businesses and financial institutions, to reiterate that Washington would continue to aggressively enforce its sanctions, according to a Treasury statement.

“Individuals and institutions operating in permissive jurisdictions risk potentially losing access to G7 markets on account of doing business with sanctioned entities,” the department said.

During the trip, Nelson will discuss Treasury’s efforts to crack down on Russian efforts to evade sanctions and export controls imposed over its brutal war against Ukraine, Irans destabilising activity in the region, illicit finance risks undermining economic growth, and foreign investment.

The trip marks the latest visit to Turkiye by a senior Treasury official to discuss sanctions, following a string of warnings last year by officials, as Washington ramped up pressure on Ankara to ensure enforcement of US curbs on Russia.

Nelson’s trip coincides with a period of strained ties between the United States and Turkiye as the two Nato allies disagree over a host of issues.

Most recently, Ankara’s refusal to green-light the Nato bids of Sweden and Finland has troubled Washington, while Ankara is frustrated that its request to buy F-16 fighter jets is increasingly linked to whether the two Nordic countries can join the alliance.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2023