Biden tells Russian oligarchs the U.S., allies are 'coming for your ill-begotten gains'


President Biden announced during the State of the Union on Tuesday night that the Department of Justice is working with European allies to find and seize the "yachts," "luxury apartments," and "private jets" of Russian oligarchs, declaring, "We're coming for your ill-begotten gains."
Biden said the United States is going after those close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including "Russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders who built billions of dollars off this violent regime." He also said American airspace will be closed to all Russian flights, "further isolating Russia." Biden added that Putin "has no idea what's coming."
Biden began his State of the Union address with the topic on almost everyone's mind: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "We shared with the world in advance what we knew Putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsify and justify his aggression," Biden said. "We countered Russia's lies with the truth, and now that he's acted, the free world is holding him accountable, along with 27 members of the European Union, including France, Germany, Italy, as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and many others."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The president received a round of applause when he said Putin is "now isolated from the world more than he has ever been," and touted the U.S. and its allies for enforcing "powerful economic sanctions" against Russia, including "cutting off Russia's largest banks and international financial system" and "preventing Russia's central bank from defending the Russian ruble, making Putin's $360 billion war fund worthless." Additionally, the coalition is "choking Russia's access to technology," which will "sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to Ukraine
Speed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
The Swedish church at the centre of a Russian spy drama
Under The Radar The Russian Orthodox Church is accused of being an 'active tool' of Moscow's 'soft power'
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.