US imposes ‘severe’ sanctions on Russia as Biden rejects Putin’s ‘fraudulent’ annexation of Ukrainian regions

‘Russia is violating international law, trampling on the UN Charter, and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere,’ US President Joe Biden says

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest bid to legitimise the invasion underscores China’s refusal to condemn it even as Beijing tries to avoid parallels with Taiwan

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US President Joe Biden speaking at the White House on Friday about Russia and its “fraudulent” annexation of four Ukrainian regions. Photo: AP

Published: 11:20pm, 30 Sep 2022Updated: 6:34am, 1 Oct 2022

The US imposed “severe” sanctions on Russia on Friday, with key allies following suit, after Moscow declared several Ukrainian regions to be part of its territory in the wake of a controversial referendum.

Washington also issued a sharp warning to any “individual, entity, or country” supporting Moscow’s annexation claims, backed by other major industrialised nations, with analysts predicting that China would continue walking an awkward line between its “no limits” Russian partner and its economically vital Western trading partners.

A protester against Russian President Vladimir Putin outside the United Nations on Friday after members of the UN Security Council voted on a resolution condemning the referendums on annexing several Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

“The United States condemns Russia’s fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere.”

The latest US effort to punish Moscow and force a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine includes sanctions on hundreds more individuals linked to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as on 14 international suppliers to the Russian military, with another 57 entities added to a US export controls list.

Beijing continues to monitor the West’s use of sanctions closely, analysts said, given the punitive measures it already faces over human rights and the likelihood it could face many more over any invasion of Taiwan.

Moscow’s declaration on Friday came after widely criticised referendums were held in four Ukrainian regions – Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk, or about 15 per cent of Ukraine’s land – amid reports that residents were in some cases forced by armed soldiers to vote.