White House will crack down on Russian attempts to evade sanctions, Biden security advisor says

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, speaks during an interview at an Economic Club of Washington event in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday that the Biden administration is focused on making sure Russia doesn't escape punishment for its war in Ukraine.

Sullivan spoke at the Economic Club in Washington, D.C., and said that the administration is focused on enforcing the sanctions already levied against Russia.

Sullivan said that what the US has done is unprecedented in terms of a major economy to take this set of steps.

As Russia tries to adjust to the fact that it is under economic pressure, what steps can they take to evade our sanctions?

President Joe Biden's top national security adviser said that he expects the White House to announce some targets that are trying to facilitate Russia's sanction evasion.

In the weeks since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor, Washington and its allies have imposed a series of sanctions, vaulting Russia past Iran and North Korea as the world's most-sanctioned country.

Sullivan said that the U.S. has deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia and the possibility that the world's second-largest economy may attempt to help Moscow blunt sanctions.

Sullivan said that the U.S. has not observed Beijing giving military assistance to Moscow.

Sullivan said that they don't have complete visibility, but that Russia and China have an economic relationship. We have not.