Sanctions show US stubbornly clinging to the reins of its high horse of war

Sanctions have never been instrumental in resolving an international conflict. And the sanctions regime imposed by the United States against Russia has only fanned the flames of the conflict in Ukraine and worsened the plight of the Ukrainian people.

Yet, as if to conceal its inability to help Ukraine win the upper hand on the battlefield, the US announced on Wednesday that it has slapped a new round of sanctions on over 300 individuals and entities that it claims are enabling Russia to sustain its military campaign in Ukraine. The US has repeatedly alleged in recent months that China is supplying Russia with dual-use goods so it is no surprise that Chinese entities and individuals are included on the list of those being sanctioned.

Speaking to the media ahead of the G7 Summit in Italy, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the targets of the sanctions include "major nonbank entities that help Russia finance its war effort and evade sanctions; entities and individuals across multiple evasion and foreign procurement networks, like networks that support Russia's UAV production, gold laundering, and procurement of sensitive items such as anti-UAV equipment, machine tools, industrial materials and microelectronics".