By Mike Baruah, Our North America Correspondent.
In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh discussed how America has the ability to expand its sanctions against Russia, including reaching “the commanding heights of the Russian economy.”
“We can broaden our sanctions. Take the measures, take the sanctions we’ve already applied, apply them in more targets. Apply them to more sectors,” he said.
“More banks, more sectors that we haven’t touched.”
Asked what that might entail, Singh said, “Well, the commanding heights of the Russian economy. It’s mostly about oil and gas, but there are other sectors too. I don’t wanna specify them, but I think (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would know what those are.”
Singh described the impact of sanctions from the US and allies on the Russian economy, saying they’ve prompted Putin to take “some desperate measures.”
“He’s self-isolating his economy. Russia is now on a fast track to a 1980’s-style Soviet living standard. It’s looking into an economic abyss and that is that is the result of Putin’s choices and I can see from his reaction, that’s where it’s headed,” Singh said.
“This is Putin’s war. These are Putin sanctions and this is Putin’s hardship he’s putting on the Russian people