Russian sanctions in the face of protracted war

The United States and the European Union are proposing further sanctions against the Kremlin after allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

As soon as Wednesday, the Biden administration will announce sanctions on:
Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank (furthering sanctions imposed last week);
Alfa Bank, one of Russia’s largest private lenders;
Vladimir Putin’s two daughters (EU also considering this move).

On Tuesday, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, proposed broad new sanctions on Russia, including a ban on imports of Russian coal, slashing the access of Russian road and shipping goods carriers into the bloc, targeting oligarchs and their families and blocking some machinery exports. EU ambassadors meeting on Wednesday to decide what steps to take.

While the decision further complicates Russia’s attempts to keep meeting debt obligations, ''there is growing recognition that they cannot prevent Russia pivoting its fight towards eastern Ukraine, the West will instead need to supply far more, and far more powerful armaments than it has so far,'' analysts at Rabobank said. ''In other words, escalation. Moreover, a far longer war than many had been hoping, which will have larger consequences for markets.''