A senior U.S. administration official said the government plans to introduce steps to ‘economically isolate’ Russia to weaken its ability to wage war. The U.S. official added that all G-7 members are preparing to implement a fresh batch of export controls. That will include adding 70 entities to the U.S.
commerce blacklist and more than 300 new sanctions against individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft.
“These will go after financial facilitators, as well as future energy and extractive capabilities of Russia and other actors helping to support the war,” said the official, adding the sanctions will span Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Banned diamonds imposed more sanctions on Russia under a legislation to be introduced later in the year. “The U.K. is today announcing a ban on Russian diamonds, an industry worth $4 billion in exports in 2021, as well as imports of Russian-origin copper, aluminium and nickel,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said in a Friday release. headtopics.com
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking to political journalists on board a government plane as he heads to Japan to attend the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, on May 17, 2023.
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Meet D’Arcy Drollinger, a drag performer who’s now the first drag laureate in the US
San Francisco is naming the nation’s first drag laureate to represent the city’s famous LGBTQ+ community at a time when rights are under attack. Mayor London Breed on Thursday will name drag performer and nightclub owner D’Arcy Drollinger to the job. Drollinger will be paid $55,000 over 18 months, tasked with sharing and promoting the city’s drag history and culture. Other cities like West Hollywood and New York are considering similar roles. Drollinger’s appointment comes at a time when anti-trans legislation is being introduced around the country and violent protesters are targeting drag events. Read more >>
Zelenskyy expected to make in-person appeal to G-7 leaders in JapanUkraine’s president is set to travel to Hiroshima to make an in-person plea for more Western weapons and help in face of Russian onslaught.
Live blog: We need more consolidation to put pressure on Russia – ZelenskyyUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kiev needs more consolidation from the world to put more pressure on Russia Follow our live coverage 👇 Beijing’s special envoy notes there was no panacea to Ukraine conflict, but urged all parties to create conditions for peace talks Follow our live coverage 👇
Russia’s Response to Zelenskyy’s Success in Europe: Hundreds of Identical Fabricated News ReportsRussian news outlets based their reports about Twitter users ridiculing Zelenskyy’s European visit on six tweets, two of which are non-existing, while the other four came from shadowy accounts.
Biden arrives in Japan for G7 starting with meeting with Japan’s prime minister | CNN PoliticsPresident Joe Biden arrived in Japan on Thursday for a truncated Asia visit meant to bolster allies amid China’s growing military and economic ambitions.
At Japan’s G7 summit, the big elephants are China and RussiaThe longest shadows at the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit this week will be cast by two countries that weren’t even invited to the Hiroshima gathering: China and Russia.
G-7 leaders likely to focus on the war in Ukraine and tensions in Asia at summit in HiroshimaThe symbolism will be palpable when leaders of the world’s rich democracies sit down in Hiroshima later this week. The Japanese city’s name evokes the tragedy of war, and the leaders will tackle a host of challenges including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in Asia. The attention on the war in Europe comes just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy completed a whirlwind trip to meet many of the Group of Seven leaders now heading to Japan. G-7 leaders are also girding for the possibility of renewed conflict in Asia as relations with China deteriorate.
