Who are Putin’s daughters? Why has US imposed sanctions on them?
After the recent spate of killings by Russian troops in the Ukrainian suburb Bucha, the US government has imposed more sanctions on Russia. This time, the US has targeted President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, which includes his daughters Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova. The sanctions also target the family of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, former President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and former Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The sanctions against Russia includes full blocking of Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, and the country's largest private sector bank, Alfa bank. No US person is permitted to transact with these banks.
President Joe Biden has also said that he will sign an executive order banning new investments in Russia. The US Treasury Department is also expected to announce a ban on transactions by US persons with major Russian state-owned enterprises.
WHY TARGET PUTIN'S FAMILY?
The US administration has targeted Putin’s family because it believes that a lot of his assets are in the family circle. The US said that it put sanctions on the daughters, “for being adult children of Putin, a person whose property and interests in property is blocked,” the BBC reported.
Who are Putin’s daughters?
Vladimir Putin has two daughters - Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova and Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova. The two were born to his ex-wife Lyudmila.
Very little is known about Putin's family as he has always kept his family affairs a secret. In 2015, during a press conference, he didn’t answer questions about his daughters. The only thing he said was, "My daughters live in Russia and I am proud of them. I never discuss my family with anyone”, the BBC reported.
Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova (36) is the elder daughter of Putin. Born in 1985, Maria studied at the Petersburg University, and then went on to study medicine at the Moscow State University. She is a researcher at Endocrinology Research Centre in Moscow and is specialising in the endocrine system. She also co-wrote a book on stunted growth in children.
She was married to Dutch businessman Jorrit Joost Faassen. Faassen worked at the Russian state energy giant Gazprom. The couple is now separated.
Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova (35) is the younger daughter of Putin. She married Kirill Shamalov, son of long-time friend of Putin. The pair, however, split up later.
Katerina is businesswoman and also works in the academic sector. She made a brief appearance on Russian state media in 2018 to talk about neurotechnology and also at a business forum in 2021.
WHY RUSSIA SHOULD BE WORRIED
The string of sanctions by the US will further weaken the Russian economy. The sanctions target Russia’s financial system, powerful individuals in the country and its fossil fuels. The sanctions are designed in such a way that it makes impossible to conduct business in Russia.
The effects are visible on the ground too. The Russian stock market has crashed many times since the Ukraine war started. Many Russian companies have faced severe losses in the stock market and the Russian ruble is at an all-time low.
As per JP Morgan estimates, the Russian economy will shrink 35% in the second quarter of 2022, and 7% for the entire year. According to US President Joe Biden, the aim of these sanctions is clear. He said, "We are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever.”
If the sanctions keep on growing, it will be extremely difficult for the Russian economy to be survive. A lot of it will have to do with Russia’s actions in Ukraine.