WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is preparing to expand sanctions on Russian oligarchs, their companies and family members over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the measures.
The White House and Treasury Department are preparing a list of people that will overlap with some of those sanctioned by the European Union on Monday, including Alisher Usmanov, the owner of an iron and steel conglomerate, the Post reported, citing internal deliberations.
Sanctions under consideration may include travel restrictions and the seizure of overseas assets that could run into the billions of dollars, the newspaper reported.
The U.S. measures would not only target individuals but the companies they own and family members, a White House official told the Post on condition of anonymity.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States would work to seize the yachts, luxury apartments and private jets of wealthy Russians with ties to Putin.
“We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” Biden said.
The EU on Monday imposed sanctions on 26 prominent people over Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special operation,” including oligarchs and business people active in the oil, banking and finance sectors.
It also targeted government members, high-level military people, and “propagandists who contributed to spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda,” the EU said in a statement.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Louise Heavens and Catherine Evans)
