U.S. Treasury secretary expects "increasing toll on Russia’s economic trajectory over time"

While the Russian economy has not yet buckled under the wide array of sanctions from the United States and other Western nations, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday she expects it to grow weaker over time as the country loses foreign investment and runs through its reserves and rainy-day funds.

That’s according to CNN, Ukrinform reports.

“We will see an increasing toll on Russia’s economic trajectory over time,” she told CNN in an exclusive interview during her unannounced visit to Kyiv.

She added that Russia’s ability to replenish the military equipment that has been destroyed in their attacks on Ukraine has been “very greatly jeopardized.”

Yellen also said China would face “severe” consequences should it start supplying drones and ammunition to Russia.

“We have been extremely clear that we will not tolerate systematic violations by any country of the sanctions that we have put in place that are intended to deprive Russia of access to military equipment to wage this war,” she said.

The Treasury secretary noted that the U.S. has been “very clear with the Chinese government and have made clear to Chinese firms and financial institutions that the consequences of violating those sanctions would be very severe.”

As Ukrinform reported earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was on an announced visit to Ukraine on February 27.