A senior Biden administration official said Thursday that the United States plans to sanction 400 Russian individuals and entities, including more than 300 lawmakers from the Russian lower house of parliament.
The G-7 group of major economies and the European Union will announce new measures to crack down on Russian efforts to evade current sanctions, as Russia's unprovoked and increasingly brutal invasion of Ukraine enters its second month Thursday.
The EU and G-7 will inform international organizations that from this point forward, they are no longer to operate in Russia under business as usual standards, said the official, who requested anonymity in order to preview announcements that had not yet been made.
The official said that the purpose was to remove benefits and privileges that Russia once enjoyed as a member of the international economic order.
President Joe Biden will announce the measures during a speech before NATO on Thursday, the first of three major addresses he will deliver during his day in Brussels.
A senior White House aide said that Biden will announce a new set of American efforts to aid the Ukrainian people.
The United States is prepared to provide more than $1 billion in new funding towards humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia's war in Ukraine and its severe impacts around the world, according to an official.
Biden will announce a new commitment of funds to help protect global food security, which has been thrown into chaos by Russia's invasion because both Moscow and Kyiv are some of the world's largest exporters of grain.
The Feed the Future initiative will provide $11 billion over the next 5 years to address threats to food security and prevent malnutrition.
The lion's share of Ukrainian grain exports goes to Africa and Asia, and the American funds will be used to help countries that are vulnerable to a rise in food prices.
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