US Treasury Secretary warns countries 'indifferent' to sanctions against Russia

New York, April 13 (IANS) US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday sent a warning to countries that are not moving to snap financial ties with Russia or seeking to undermine sanctions imposed due to the war in Ukraine, media reports said.

"While many countries have taken a unified stand against Russia's actions and many companies have quickly and voluntarily severed business relationships with Russia, some countries and companies have not," Yellen said in prepared remarks to be delivered at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think-tank on international affairs, CNN reported.

"Let me now say a few words to those countries which are currently sitting on the fence, perhaps seeing an opportunity to gain by preserving their relationship with Russia and backfilling the void left by others. Such motivations are short-sighted," Yellen said, as per the report.

While Yellen did not call out any specific country, some nations -- including China and India -- have not been in a rush to back away from Russia, given their need to import vast amounts of energy, the report said.

"Let's be clear. The unified coalition of sanctioning countries will not be indifferent to actions that undermine the sanctions we've put in place," Yellen said.