US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday new sanctions on the Russian government, including the expulsion of 10 diplomats for alleged presidential election interference and hacking.
The executive order aims to deter "the full scope of Russia's harmful foreign activities," the White House said in a statement.
With the new order, the Treasury Department prohibits American financial institutions from participating in the primary market for ruble or non-ruble denominated bonds issued after June 14 by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, as well as lending ruble or non-ruble denominated funds to them.
It also designated six Russian technology companies for allegedly providing "support to the Russian Intelligence Services' cyber program, ranging from providing expertise to developing tools and infrastructure to facilitating malicious cyber activities."
"These companies are being designated for operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy," the statement read.
Those expelled from the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington, DC include representatives of Russian intelligence services, it added, without disclosing their identities.
