The House on March 19 passed a bill that would impose property-blocking sanctions on foreign persons who undermine the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 12-9 on March 20 to approve President Joe Biden’s nomination of Erik Woodhouse to be head of the State Department’s Office of Sanctions Coordination. Eleven Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., supported the nomination, while nine Republicans were opposed. The committee’s ranking member, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, has threatened to try to block the nomination when it goes to the full Senate, citing Woodhouse's role in the Biden administration's decision not to sanction the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project while Russia was threatening to invade Ukraine (see 2403070046).
The U.S. sanctioned two Russian companies and their leaders for helping the country’s government carry out a “foreign malign influence campaign,” including by impersonating government organizations and European media outlets.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is adding new export license requirements for people and entities designated under certain Treasury Department sanctions programs, a move it said will strengthen U.S. financial blocking measures and act as a “backstop” for activities that those restrictions don’t cover.
A new report this week from the Congressional Research Service outlines U.S. sanctions risks stemming from the global oil tanker market, including from tankers moving sanctioned oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela.
A senior State Department official called rising weapons shipments between Russia and North Korea “deeply concerning,” saying the U.S. plans to continue using a combination of sanctions and diplomacy to try to disrupt trade between the two countries.
A lawsuit between the trustee of a Russian businessman and his "long term" partner will go to trial after the U.K. High Court of Justice on March 13 declined to dismiss their defense, setting up a case that could shed light on the role sanctioned parties play in property disputes.
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced a bill March 15 that would impose sanctions on foreign persons who contribute to the construction of a tunnel from Russia to Crimea, which Russia invaded in 2014.
Four senators last week urged President Joe Biden to impose additional sanctions on Nicaragua for that country's crackdown on religious freedom, including the recent arrest of 13 Christian pastors.
The EU on March 13 removed 12 names from its Russian sanctions regime, including nine Russian political and military figures who have died. The three living de-listed people are Arkady Volozh, a Russian businessman and co-founder of internet company Yandex; Serguey Mndoiants, vice president of government relations for AFK Sistema; and Jozef Hambalek, president of the European wing of the Night Wolves motorcycle club. The EU also amended the entries for 97 people and nine entities.