INSIGHTi
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Overview of
U.S. and Allied Responses
February 25, 2022
Russia launched a full-scale air, land, and sea attack on the independent and democratic state of Ukraine
on February 24, 2022. The United States and its allies around the world have condemned Russia’s
“unprecedented military aggression” as “unprovoked and unjustified.” On February 24, President Biden
said,
Now the entire world sees clearly what [Vladimir] Putin and his Kremlin allies are really all about.
This was never about genuine security concerns.... It was always about naked aggression, about
Putin’s desire for empire by any means necessary—by bullying Russia’s neighbors through coercion
and corruption, by changing borders by force, and, ultimately, by choosing a war without a cause.
Putin’s actions betray his sinister vision for the future of our world—one where nations take what
they want by force.
Moscow’s objectives appear to include a broad seizure of territory across Ukraine and replacement of
Ukraine’s democratically elected government with a nondemocratic satellite regime. Russia also may be
seeking to annex a greater part of eastern and southern Ukraine, leaving a rump Ukraine to serve as a
puppet state. Reports show many incidents of Ukrainian armed forces’ resistance to the Russian invasion.
Many civilians have fled their homes, and Ukraine’s government has ordered a general military
mobilization. Russian troops reportedly entered Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on February 25, 2022.
Since December 2021, the United States and allies had warned Russian officials they were prepared to
impose severe new sanctions on Russia if it launched a new invasion of Ukraine, a country Russia first
invaded and partially occupied in 2014. The United States and allies imposed an initial round of sanctions
on February 21-23, 2022, in response to Russia’s purported recognition of two Russia-occupied regions in
eastern Ukraine as independent states. The United States and allies imposed more sanctions on February
24, 2022, after Russia launched its attack. Members of Congress are considering additional sanctions on
Russia and other actions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. Sanctions
The most recent rounds of U.S. sanctions and related actions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
are potentially more impactful than many previous sanctions the United States has imposed on Russia
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(see CRS Report R45415, U.S. Sanctions on Russia). Sanctions and related actions imposed since
February 21, 2022, include the following:
Restrictions on transactions by U.S. financial institutions (including correspondent and
payable-through accounts) with Sberbank, Russia’s largest financial institution and one
of Russia’s five largest companies (with exceptions for certain transactions, including
relating to energy).
Full blocking sanctions (including restrictions on transactions and asset freezes) on
VTB Bank (Russia’s second-largest financial institution) and four other Russian
financial institutions, including two that operate in Russia’s defense sector (with
the exceptions mentioned above);
VEB, a major state development bank that “provides financing for large-scale
projects to develop the country’s infrastructure and industrial production” (with
the exceptions mentioned above);
Nord Stream 2 AG, the parent company of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas
pipeline project, and its chief executive officer; and
10 members of Russia’s Kremlin-connected business elite, 5 of whom are the
sons of senior Russian officials (themselves subject to U.S. sanctions and now
designated a second time).
Export controls the U.S. Commerce Department describes as “the most comprehensive
application of Commerce’s export authorities on U.S. items.” In addition to new controls
on exports from the United States, Commerce imposed restrictions on “sensitive U.S.
technologies produced in foreign countries using U.S.-origin software, technology, or
equipment.” These controls are intended to restrict the ability of many foreign
manufacturers to export “semiconductors, telecommunication, encryption security, lasers,
sensors, navigation, avionics and maritime technologies” to Russia.
Restrictions against secondary-market transactions by U.S. financial institutions in
Russian sovereign debt issued after March 1, 2022 (previous restrictions applied to
transactions in the primary market).
Restrictions against new equity investment and financing (other than 14-day lending) for
13 top Russian companies, including
Russia’s largest firm, state-owned energy company Gazprom;
Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond-mining firm;
Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest maritime and freight shipping firm;
Russian Railways; and
Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest private bank.
Prohibitions against U.S. trade or investment in Russia-occupied regions of eastern
Ukraine and the authority to impose sanctions against those the President determines
have operated in those regions. These sanctions parallel sanctions the United States
imposed with respect to Ukraine’s occupied Crimea region in 2014.
In addition, the Administration imposed sanctions on 24 Belarusian entities, officials, and elites in
response to Belarus’s support for Russia’s invasion. Media reports have indicated the Administration also
plans to impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials.
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Allied Sanctions
The European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan all
have imposed or announced plans to impose sanctions and export controls in response to Russia’s full-
scale invasion of Ukraine, in close coordination with the United States. Many sanctions imposed by U.S.
allies are identical or similar to U.S. sanctions. In addition, the EU has announced or imposed sanctions
on other senior officials, including Russian President Putin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov,
Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, senior military officials, and prominent state media figures. The EU
also imposed sanctions on 336 members of the Russian Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament,
for their support of a resolution requesting that President Putin recognize the separatist regions of eastern
Ukraine as independent states.
Allies have taken other actions, as well. Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion, the German government
withdrew permission for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to proceed with its certification process, thereby
preventing the pipeline from entering into operation. The UK announced a ban on Russia’s national
airline Aeroflot. Additional EU sanctions, including restrictions related to the financial, energy, and
transport sectors, are forthcoming.
For more on U.S. and allied responses, see CRS Insight IN11866, Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: NATO
Response, by Paul Belkin.
Author Information
Cory Welt
Specialist in Russian and European Affairs
Disclaimer
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to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
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