USA lifted sanctions on Russian banks

Under the guise of lifting sanctions on Syria, the U.S. Treasury Department has also removed sanctions from several Russian banks and enterprises, including Tempbank, Mir Business Bank, RFK Bank, Promsyreimport, Global Concept Groups, SGT Logistic, Global Vision Group, and Maritime Assistance, and most notably from Rosoboronexport, a company within the Rostec conglomerate—whose name alone makes it clear what it deals in.

Technically, all these banks and companies were indeed added to the sanctions list during Russia’s war in Syria (Rosoboronexport was sanctioned even earlier, under President Bush, for arms supplies to Iran). Many of these banks and companies were linked to the fallen Assad regime.

However, Rosoboronexport is also under a wide range of EU sanctions directly for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The White House could not have been unaware of this and should have exercised oversight in this matter.