Biden announces new sanctions on Russia

President  Biden on Thursday announced a sweeping new array of sanctions meant to punish Russia for its hacking of federal agencies, 2020 election interference, and alleged attempts to encourage Taliban attacks against US military personnel in Afghanistan. [NBC News / Alexander Smith, Kristen Welker, Andrea Mitchell, and Abigail Williams] 32 entities and individuals are being sanctioned, alongside six companies that aid Russia's cyber program. Biden is also expelling 10 Washington-based Russian diplomats, and he’s barring American banks from buying debt from Russian institutions. [Axios / Zachary Basu and David Lawler] In an early sign that the sanctions were having their intended effect, the ruble dropped to its lowest level since December 2020. [Bloomberg] The Biden administration already implemented one round of economic sanctions toward Russia. That was for the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny; Americans had coordinated with the EU and Great Britain in planning those moves, but the latest round is unilateral. [New York Times / By Julian E. Barnes, David E. Sanger, and Lara Jakes] Biden has been active in pushing Vladimir Putin to meet him in a summit hosted by a third country. The move, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, is key to avoiding a “cycle of confrontation” and could set the two sides up for a “stable and predictable” relationship. [CNN / Kylie Atwood and Kate Sullivan]