Washington (AFP) – The United States placed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s money-manager and a Monaco company that provides luxury yachts to Moscow’s elite on its sanctions blacklist Thursday, stepping up pressure over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Washington hit Sergei Roldugin, labelled “Putin’s middle-man,” Roldugin’s opera singer wife Elena Mirtova, and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova with sanctions, as well as several large yachts in which Putin allegedly has an interest, the Treasury said. The sanctions also included several senior government officials and powerful busin…