U.S. Team Aims to Cut Off Funding and Technology Access to Putin Amid Ukraine Conflict
In the days leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, President Joe Biden sent a team of specialists to the European Union headquarters in Belgium to collaborate on a comprehensive economic strategy. Unlike military personnel, these experts were focused on tracking the global flow of goods, money, and technology with the goal of crippling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to fund the war.
The discussions were intense, with meetings spanning several hours in Brussels, Paris, London, and Berlin. The U.S. sought to implement an economic blockade designed to limit Russia’s access to critical technologies and resources, including those essential for modern warfare. Some European countries expressed hesitation, as they would be forcing their companies to sacrifice billions of dollars in revenue from Russia.
