US, EU Push New Sanctions Vs. Russia

As Moscow is on to complete its annexation over Crimea, the EU and the US announced new sanctions against prominent Russians and close allies of President Vladimir Putin.

Just hours after the US president Barack Obama said his administration had imposed sanctions on “senior officials” in the Kremlin, the European bloc on Friday announced it was expanding its list of Russians targeted with sanctions to 12.

Obama, speaking from the White House, said Russia’s threats to southern and eastern areas of Ukraine – which like Crimea have large Russian-speaking populations – posed a serious risk of escalating the crisis in the region. Obama said they are imposing sanctions against senior officials of the Russian government.

Obama also added that included in the list are “individuals with substantial resources and influence who provide material support to Russian leadership”. He said banks who provides material support to these individuals are also included in the list.

The president’s remarks came after the Russian parliament’s lower house gave its near-unanimous approval to the country’s annexation of Crimea, ignoring threats of more sanctions, reports said.

Duma Voted for Annexation

Reports added the Kremlin-controlled Duma voted 445-1 on Thursday to make Crimea a part of Russia following a quick discussion where members assailed the Ukrainian authorities.

The vote came as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Moscow for a meeting with Putin. Ban reportedly said at the start of the meeting he is “deeply concerned with the situation”

The incorporation of Crimea into Russia needs to be rubber-stamped by the upper house and receive a final endorsement by Putin, formalities expected to be completed by the end of the week, Al Jazeera.net reported.

Moscow on Thursday reveals its own sanctions against senior US politicians in retaliation against visa bans and asset freezes imposed by Washington on its citizens, it added.

Thursday’s Duma vote follows Crimea’s referendum on Sunday, which was held two weeks after Russian forces successfully took over the strategic Black Sea peninsula.

The United States (US) and the European Union (EU) have responded by slapping some limited sanctions on Russia, Al jazeera.net reported.

Reports said Ilya Ponomarev, an opposition lawmaker who was the only Duma member who voted against the move, said in his blog that Russia behaved like a “banal aggressor” and made a grave mistake by annexing Crimea.

Source: Al jazeera.net

Photo above: Obama announces fresh US sanctions on Russia (Image Credit: www.independent.co.uk)