Governor Phil Murphy has ordered all government agencies to temporarily suspend relations with Russian-backed businesses and financial institutions in response to the unprovoked and devastating siege of the former Soviet country of Ukraine.
Executive ordersigned on Wednesday, it urges state departments, councils and commissions to temporarily revoke any contracts, permits or licenses currently issued to companies controlled by Russia or Belarus, the latter supporting the Kremlin’s bloody campaign, as well as their corporate investors.
“We stand together with the Ukrainian people and will do our part to hold the Russian government accountable and isolated. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, ”Murphy wrote on Twitter after the sanctions were imposed.
All government agencies must submit to Murphy’s office by 5pm on Monday preliminary reviews illustrating actions taken against organizations subject to the temporary ban.
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The policy also instructs the State Department of Banking and Insurance to conduct inspections of legal entities within its jurisdiction to make sure they are enforcing current federal sanctions against Russia.
However, the governor hastened to counter xenophobia, which has historically been an integral part of America’s reproaches to foreign enemies.
“New Jerseans of Russian and Belarusian descent are not responsible for what is happening in Ukraine,” the order said.
Russia invaded Ukraine last week, completing Putin’s ongoing steps to annex a smaller country since Ukrainians ousted their pro-Kremlin president in 2014.
This regime change has angered the Russian president, who has since sought to regain allegiance to Ukrainian territories, including the Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Putin invaded in 2014 and has since claimed Russia, although internationally the country’s independence remains under question.
The story continues after the gallery
New Jersey is open to Ukrainian refugees
A separate step on Wednesday Murphy proposed to provide asylum to Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum at the McGuire Air Force Base in Trenton.
The governor opened the state for evacuees fleeing the “brutal and illegal invasion” in a letter to President Joe Biden, in which he further asked the commander-in-chief to immediately grant temporary immigration protection to Ukrainians who have already arrived in the United States.
Murphy made a similar overture to Afghan refugees when al Qaeda snatched control of the country during a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops last year.
Nicholas Katzban is the chief reporter for NorthJersey.com. To receive the latest news directly to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter.
Email: katzban@northjersey.com
Twitter: @nicholaskatzban
