WASHINGTON, February 23. /TASS/. The US has imposed sanctions against Russia’s Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov and his son Denis, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko and his son Vladimir, Chief Executive Officer of Promsvyazbank Pyotr Fradkov, as well as their relatives, a high-ranked representative of the US administration told a briefing on the US’ new sanctions imposed against Moscow.
"I'll name the Russian elites, which also includes their family members, Alexander Bortnikov and his son Denis (Deputy President and Chairman of VTB Bank Management Board), Sergey Kiriyenko and his son Vladimir (Director General at VK), Pyotr Fradkov, who is the CEO of Promsvyazbank. So these individuals and their relatives are all now fully blocked," he said.
The sanctions are targeted at "influential Russians and their family members in Putin’s inner circle believed to be participating in the Russian regime’s kleptocracy," the US Department of the Treasury said in a press release on Tuesday. "All property and interests in property of persons mentioned above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked," according to the press release.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of the DPR and LPR (the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics). Subsequent agreements on friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance were signed with their leaders. Putin instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry to establish diplomatic relations with the DPR and LPR, and the Russian Defense Ministry was instructed to ensure the maintenance of peace on their territories.