EXPLAINER: A look at toughest US sanctions facing Putin

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and FATIMA HUSSEIN
Associated Press

Washington (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden has made clear the United States intends to deploy sweeping financial penalties, not American troops, to hit Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s moves against Ukraine. The Biden administration is describing a calibrated response based partly on how far Russian forces roll into Ukraine’s territory. The Biden administration says its toughest sanctions package, already worked out in consultation with European allies, would be enough to hit Putin and Russia’s elites, cripple Russia’s ability to do business internationally, and likely bring on a recession there.