Quote It is more important than ever before to come together as Americans. We cannot allow those seeking to sow confusion, discord, and rancor to be successful.

NEW ACTIONS STANDING UP TO RUSSIA: President Donald J. Trump’s Administration is implementing new sanctions targeting Russian individuals and entities.

President Trump’s Administration is implementing new sanctions on Russian oligarchs, government officials, and entities for their roles advancing Russia’s malign activities.

The sanctions target seven Russian oligarchs and the 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian government officials, and a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and a bank it owns. A number of individuals listed in the Administration’s January 2018 Report on Senior Foreign Political Figures and Oligarchs in the Russian Federation will be targeted. These sanctions will help ensure the Russian oligarchs who profit from Russia’s destabilizing activities face the consequences for doing so. The state-owned weapons trading company being sanctioned provides military equipment and support to the Government of Syria, enabling the regime’s continual attacks against Syrian citizens.



REINFORCING A STRONG SANCTIONS REGIME: The new sanctions announced today will further the Administration’s efforts to confront destabilizing and malicious behavior by Russia.

President Trump’s Administration has consistently confronted Russian activities that threaten our institutions, our interests, or our allies.

In March 2018, President Trump’s Administration imposed sanctions against 16 Russian entities and individuals for their roles in Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The Administration also imposed sanctions against Russian intelligence agencies and officials for their significant efforts to undermine U.S. cyber security.

In February 2018, The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a new rule to bar a Latvian bank involved in illicit Russia-related activity from opening or maintaining correspondent accounts in the United States.

In December 2017, new Russia-related sanctions were announced under the Sergei Magnitsky and Global Magnitsky programs.

In December 2017, the Administration imposed export controls against two Russian companies that were helping Russia develop missiles which violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

The Trump administration sanctioned a total of one hundred targets in response to Russia’s occupation of Crimea and aggression in Eastern Ukraine.

The Trump Administration has also designated Russian actors under Iran and North Korea sanctions authorities.

CONFRONTING RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE UNITED STATES: President Trump has taken action to call out and confront Russian efforts to undermine the United States.

The Administration attributed the worldwide NotPetya cyber-attack to the Russian military in February 2018.

In September 2017, the Administration banned the use of Kaspersky Labs software on U.S. Government computers due to Kaspersky ties to Russian intelligence.

On March 15, 2017, the Administration charged three Russians for the 2014 Yahoo hack, including two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

The Trump Administration has maintained the closure of two Russian compounds and the expulsion of 35 diplomats in response to Russian interference in the 2016 election.

In March 2018, President Trump expelled 12 Russian intelligence officers from Russian Mission to the United Nations in New York pursuant to the UN Headquarters Agreement, for abusing their privilege of residence.

In 2017, the Trump Administration established the Election Infrastructure Government and Sector Coordinating Councils to increase coordination among government and private sector providers of voting and registration systems. During the 2017 elections, the Trump Administration provided onsite cybersecurity support to States, which have the responsibility to ensure that their electoral infrastructure is secure, and will continue to provide this assistance in 2018.



RESPONDING TO RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: Russia has led a sustained global campaign to undermine the sovereignty and security of the United States and our allies.

Russia interfered in Western democratic elections in 2016 and 2017.

In March 2018, President Trump ordered the expulsion of 48 Russian intelligence officers from the United States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. This action was taken in coordination with American allies around the world in response to Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon in the United Kingdom.

Russia continues to exacerbate the seven-year Syrian civil war by propping up the brutal Assad regime, which continues to indiscriminately bomb innocent Syrians, including civilian women and children, in a ceasefire zone Russia itself had declared. Russia’s protection has given the Syrian regime the space to continually use chemical weapons and commit other atrocities against its people without accountability.

For more than a decade, Russia has assassinated opponents across the world, including its most recent attempt to kill a private citizen in the United Kingdom with a military-grade nerve agent.

Russia launched a cyber-attack against Estonia in 2007; invaded Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014; attempted to annex Crimea in 2014; and supported a coup attempt in Montenegro in 2016.

Russia is eroding arms control security by violating the INF Treaty and touting new strategic nuclear weapons designed to circumvent existing agreements.

Russia sells and provides weapons system to destabilizing countries such as Iran and Syria.

COUNTERING RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: The President is strengthening our alliances and standing up to Russia’s malign influence across the globe.