The Donald Trump administration is working on new sanctions against Russia. New measures are to be introduced against 89 Chinese companies that cooperate with the military, but restrictions may affect Russian companies too.
According to the draft of the new sanctions list, the United States may impose sanctions against 28 companies operating in aviation, rocket, space and nuclear industries. New US sanctions may also affect instrument-, engine-building and scientific centers of the Russian Ministry of Defence. To crown it all, the draft includes an unnamed federal state unitary enterprise associated with the Kremlin administration.
Rosatom and Roskosmos companies (Russian monopolies operating in the field of nuclear and space industries) appear on the list of organizations that may fall under the new sanctions. This is the first time when it happens. In particular, it goes about two institutes from among leading organizations of Rosatom's nuclear arms complex, which participated in the creation of state-of-the-art arms systems, and two organizations affiliated with Roskosmos - a scientific institute and manufacturer of rocket and space hardware.
The list also includes more than ten civil aviation companies, manufacturers of helicopters, aircraft engines, developers and suppliers of aviation materials and air traffic management systems were included there. It is worth of note that Russia's new Superjet-100 and MS-21 passenger aircraft are manufactured in Russia with the use of foreign components.
On November 19, the House of Representatives of the US Congress passed a resolution in connection with the poisoning of Russian opposition activist and blogger Aleksei Navalny. As many as 371 congressmen voted for the document, 18 voted against it.
In the resolution, US lawmakers, among other things, condemn the possible poisoning of Navalny and call on the US authorities to impose sanctions against Russia. The document was submitted on September 23 and is advisory rather than mandatory.
The same day, the US Treasury sanctioned two Russia-registered companies associated with the DPRK. It goes about construction company Mokran and North Korean company Korea Cholsan General Trading Corporation that operates in Russia. These companies will be sanctioned for participation, assistance or responsibility for the export of North Korean workers to Russia.
"North Korea has a long history of exploiting its citizens by sending them to distant countries to work in grueling conditions in order to financially support Pyongyang and its weapons programs. Those countries still hosting North Korean workers must send these workers home," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.
The US extended sanctions against three other companies - Rungrado General Trading Corporation and General Corporation for External Construction (DPRK), as well as Yanbian Silverstar Network Technology (China). These firms are also believed to be involved in sending Korean workers to the PRC and Russia. US assets of the above-mentioned companies will be frozen.