Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomes latest US sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday welcomed the latest set of sanctions imposed by the US on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

"We strongly welcome the new sweeping set of U.S. sanctions on Russia and anyone else willing to aid Russia's war effort. Given the loud whines of the Russian regime's top propagandists, these measures strike right where it hurts," Kuleba said on X.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new sanctions on Russia in a bid to thwart previous efforts to circumvent economic penalties imposed in retaliation for the conflict in Ukraine.

The latest sanctions target over 300 individuals and entities based in multiple regions, including over two-dozen China-based entities, as Washington seeks to restrict the growing technology trade between Beijing and Moscow that the US has said is being used to bolster Moscow's war effort.

Commenting on the latest sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Central Bank of Russia is capable of "ensuring stability in all markets" and that Moscow is thinking about "actions that will best serve our interests" in retaliation.

"We particularly applaud tough measures against Russia's defense-industrial base and its access to technology and resources abroad. Suffocating Putin's war machine is critical for global security. Every weapon that Russia is unable to produce due to resource constraints is a life saved," Kuleba further said.

The foreign minister expressed that "any entity" helping Russia to produce weapons must be subjected to "the most intense pressure."

"We must defund and degrade Russia's war machine before it causes even more suffering and destruction throughout the world. Ordinary Russians must realize that the problems they face are a direct result of Moscow's decisions," Kuleba went on to say.