by Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The administration of US President Joe Biden plans to impose strict controls on exports to Russia in a bid to disrupt the Russian economy if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine, a a US representative told Reuters on Tuesday.
These measures, which must be discussed during the day at the White House during a meeting between high representatives, would come in addition to the economic sanctions that Washington says it is ready to impose against Russia in the event of an offensive against Ukraine, as Moscow has deployed tens of thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border.
In a virtual interview earlier this month, Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that economic measures of unprecedented magnitude would be taken against Russia in the event of a military escalation against Ukraine. The Kremlin denies any plan to invade and assures that Russian troops are present for defensive purposes.
According to the US representative, speaking on condition of anonymity, the White House is discussing in particular “extraordinary” export control measures that could dry up entire swathes of Russian technological sectors.
These measures could hamper Russia’s ability to import smartphones, critical aviation and automotive parts, as well as materials from many other sectors, the representative said.
The impact could be resounding for Russian consumers, industrial operations and jobs, he added.
These would be unprecedented measures against Russia, according to the source. Their eventual implementation would be through tools used by the administration of former President Donald Trump, then by the Biden administration, to prevent Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from acquiring advanced semiconductors.
Washington plans to hold close consultations with partners in Europe and Asia that may be affected by these measures and encourage them to coordinate efforts where appropriate.
(Reporting Steve Holland; French version Jean Terzian)
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