WASHINGTON/PARIS: The United States marked the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday by pledging another $2 billion in weaponry for Kyiv that prepares for a spring offensive and announcing new sanctions against Russia and its allies, new export controls and tariffs aimed at undermining Moscow’s ability to wage war.

Also, global anti-money laundering watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Friday said it has suspended Russia’s membership over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The US aid does not include F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine has requested.

The United States joined with G7 allies with plans to impose sanctions that will target 200 individuals and entities and a dozen Russian financial institutions. They planned to form an “Enforcement Coordination Mechanism,” at first chaired by the US, to counter Russian efforts to circumvent the sanctions.

FATF also suspends Moscow

The sanctions are aimed at targets in Russia and “third-country actors” across Europe, Asia and the Middle East that are supporting Russia’s war effort, the White House said.

On the other hand, the FATF said: “The Russian Federation’s actions unacceptably run counter to the FATF core principles aiming to promote security, safety, and the integrity of the global financial system.”

Following a five-day meeting in Paris, FATF also added Nigeria and South Africa to its list of countries subject to increased monitoring, and removed Cambodia and Morocco from the category.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2023