New US Sanctions Bar Americans From Buying Russian Debt & Stocks

by | Jun 7, 2022

New US Sanctions Bar Americans From Buying Russian Debt & Stocks

by | Jun 7, 2022

The Treasury Department has issued a new decree prohibiting money managers from trading in Russian debt or stocks in US secondary markets. The latest round of sanctions comes as Washington attempts to further isolate Moscow in retaliation for its attack on Ukraine. 

While a prior round of penalties barred Americans from directly buying Russian assets, the White House allowed trading to continue in secondary markets. With the Treasury’s latest dictate on Monday, that exemption is now closed, though citizens will still be able to hold any previously owned Russian stocks or debt. 

“Consistent with our goal to deny Russia the financial resources it needs to continue its brutal war against Ukraine, Treasury has made clear that US persons are prohibited from making new investments in the success of Russia, including through purchases on the secondary market,” a Treasury spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The stepped-up sanctions come amid a flurry of other Western penalties, which President Joe Biden has said are intended to cripple the Russian economy and harm its war effort. During a visit to Lithuania on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that stance, voicing hopes the sanctions would inflict long-term damage.

“We have far reaching sanctions now that will set back the Russian economy by decades, that means it will not be able to participate in global economic and technological progress,” he said. “We know from reports that this means that Russia will not even be able to retain its military capacities at the same level.”

The sanctions campaign has taken some toll on Moscow, though may not be having the intended effect, as embargos on Russian energy and other exports are creating the conditions for major international shortages felt throughout the West. The ruble, meanwhile, is now the best performing currency against the dollar in 2022, propped up by capital controls after briefly tumbling. Loath to sever closer economic and security ties with Russia, both India and China have resisted demands to impose penalties of their own, helping to make up for some of the lost trade with the US and Europe.

Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter

Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com and news editor of the Libertarian Institute. He also hosts the Kyle Anzalone Show.

Will Porter is the assistant news editor of the Libertarian Institute and a former staff writer and editor at RT. He edited Scott Horton's 2024 book Provoked: How Washington started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine.

Kyle and Will host the Conflicts of Interest podcast along with Connor Freeman.

View all posts

Our Books

Shop books published by the Libertarian Institute.

Podcasts

scotthortonshow logosq

coi banner sq2@0.5x

liberty weekly thumbnail

Don't Tread on Anyone Logo

313x0w (1)

313x0w (1)

313x0w (1)

Our Books

Recent Articles

Recent

News Roundup 10/14/2025

News Roundup 10/14/2025

US News Boeing Awarded $2.7 Billion Contract for Patriot Missile Components Nap Venezuela Defense Officials Say Strikes on Cartels Could Happen Inside Venezuela The Institute  Maduro Offered the US Access To Venezuela’s Oil and Mineral Resources To Avoid War AWC US...

read more
News Roundup 10/9/2025

News Roundup 10/9/2025

Venezuela Trump Calls Off Diplomacy With Venezuela’s Maduro, Making Regime Change War More Likely AWC White House Has Not Provided Proof That Boats Destroyed in Caribbean Were Carrying Drugs The Institute  Report: Trump Administration Working on Strategy To...

read more
News Roundup 9/28/2025

News Roundup 9/28/2025

US News US War Chief Summons Hundreds of Generals and Admirals for Urgent Meeting AWC Report: FBI Investigating Top  Obama Admin Offices for Perjury While Peddling Russiagate Lies Nap Venezuela Trump Envoy Grenell Said He Is in Talks With Venezuela The Institute ...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This