President Joe Biden announced Friday that the U.S. will ban imports of seafood, including Russian caviar, worth about $1.2 billion annually, as well as beverages, spirits and vinegar worth about $24.1 million, as another step in the series of harsh economic sanctions he and U.S. allies have imposed on Moscow.
In addition, the American president vowed Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a 'severe price' in case he uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.
'The United States and our allies and partners continue to work in lockstep to ramp up the economic pressures on Putin and to further isolate Russia and the global stage,' Biden said in his announcement from the White House.
'We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine,' adding that a 'direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III– something we must strive to prevent.' Biden added.
Earlier this week, Biden announced the U.S. would ban imports of Russian oil and gas products.
