MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. The US Treasury Department has banned US citizens from conducting transactions with the Bank of Russia, the National Wealth Fund, and the Ministry of Finance, the department said on Monday.

"Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) prohibited United States persons from engaging in transactions with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. This action effectively immobilizes any assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation held in the United States or by U.S. persons, wherever located," the statement said.

According to the statement, "in addition, as directed by President Biden last week, OFAC sanctioned a key Russian sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), with exposure to the United States financial system and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kirill Dmitriev - a known Putin ally."

At the same time, "contemporaneously with the issuance of this directive, OFAC is issuing a general license to authorize certain energy-related transactions with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and will follow with other authorizations and guidance as needed.".