What a sick joke. Putin isn't even on the list. Did any of these guys even
visit USA? Do they have any assets in the West left? No oligarchs are
mentioned. The USA still protecting the mafia oligarchy it helped create.
BTW, what have 60 years of sanctions against Cuba accomplished?
Stefan Lemieszewski
=================
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 10:05 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [politics] EU, U.S. Agree Sanctions Against Russians, Ukrainians
EU, U.S. Agree Sanctions Against Russians, Ukrainians
http://www.rferl.org/content/sanctions-crimea-eu-us-russia-ukraine-referendum/25299981.html
By RFE/RL
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 17.03.2014 15:06
The United States and European Union have announced sanctions aimed at
punishing a handful of Russians and Ukrainians for their roles in
destabilizing Ukraine, where a weekend referendum in Crimea endorsed a plan
by breakaway officials there to join the Russian Federation.
President Barack Obama said the U.S. sanctions targeted 11 individuals,
seven Russians and four Ukrainians, responsible for "undermining the
sovereignty of Ukraine" and violating its territorial integrity.
Obama said Crimea's referendum violated Ukraine's constitution and
international law. He said any moves by Russia to annex Crimea will not be
recognized by the international community. Obama also threatened additional
measures if the Kremlin made "further provocations" in Ukraine.
"Now, I believe there is still a path to resolve this situation
diplomatically, in a way that it addresses the interest of both Russia and
Ukraine," Obama said.
"That includes Russia pulling its forces in Crimea back to their bases,
supporting the deployment of additional international monitors in Ukraine,
and engaging in dialogue with the Ukrainian government, which has indicated
its openness to pursuing constitutional reform as they move forward towards
elections this spring."
The U.S. sanctions list includes Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry
Rogozin; the head of the Federation Council upper house of parliament,
Valentina Matviyenko; and two of President Vladimir Putin's aides, Vladislav
Surkov and Sergei Glazyev.
It also includes State Duma lower-house Deputies Leonid Slutsky and Yelena
Mizulina, and Federation Council member Andrei Klishas.
Ukrainians on the U.S. sanctions list include ousted President Viktor
Yanukovych, the head of the pro-Russian Ukrainian Choice political
organization, Viktor Medvedchuk; and two pro-Russian Crimean political
leaders -- Sergei Aksyonov, who claims to be Crimean prime minister, and
Vladimir Konstantinov, the speaker of Crimea's parliament.
EU Sanctions
Earlier, the European Union announced travel bans and asset freezes on 21
Russians and Ukrainians.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said on Twitter that more
measures were likely in the coming days.
RFE/RL's correspondent in Brussels says the EU sanctions target 13 Russians
and eight Crimeans.
Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, the EU's former chief negotiator
with Ukraine on an Association Agreement, told RFE/RL that neither Putin nor
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were on the initial EU sanctions
list.
"The European Union decided to introduce sanctions against individuals --
from Crimea and from Russia -- who are responsible for the violation of
Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty; people who have undertaken
concrete actions and measures [leading to] deterioration [of] the situation
on the ground," Lajcak said.
"At the same time, this list of people, of course, remains open. This means
in case of the continuation of the negative developments on the ground there
is readiness to expand this [list]."
NATO also warned Russia against taking any steps to annex Crimea. The
alliance called the March 16 referendum in Crimea on joining Russia "both
illegal and illegitimate."
The republican assembly in Crimea earlier in the day applied to secede from
Ukraine and join the Russian Federation after a March 16 referendum,
conducted with heavily armed Russian troops and self-styled "self-defense"
forces patrolling the streets in Crimea, suggested nearly 97 percent support
for the move.
The political provisions of an Association Agreement between the EU and the
new government in Kyiv are also expected to be signed on March 21 in
Brussels.
The Crimea referendum has been rejected as illegal by both Ukraine's
government and Western states.
On the eve of the referendum, Ukraine disbanded the Crimean parliament.
Russia says the referendum complies with international law, and President
Vladimir Putin will address a joint session of parliament on Crimea on March
18.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she believed Russia has isolated itself
in its recognition of the "so-called referendum."
"Russia is isolated to a large degree in its recognition of this so-called
referendum," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said.
"In the UN Security Council, there was a resolution which condemned the fact
that this referendum goes against international law and is unconstitutional,
with 13 countries in favor of it, China abstaining, and Russia using its
power of veto. The chancellor once again communicated yesterday by telephone
this clear position with President Putin."
Crimean lawmakers on March 17 also declared a series of measures aimed at
propping up the region. They announced that all Ukrainian state property
would become the property of the Crimean Republic. Energy companies
Chornomornaftohaz and Ukrtransgaz will be "nationalized."
The Russian ruble was introduced as a second official currency alongside the
Ukrainian hryvnya, with the hryvnya to be phased out by 2016.
The setting up of a central bank with Russian funding was announced.
Crimea's 2014 budget was revised and would include Russian aid worth more
than $409 billion.
The parliament speaker said Ukrainian military units in the region would be
disbanded.
Ukraine's parliament, meanwhile, on March 17 endorsed a presidential decree
to carry out a partial mobilization involving 40,000 reservists.
Ukraine's interim Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya met with NATO
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels to ask for "more
technical military equipment."
NATO said in a statement the alliance was determined to boost cooperation,
including "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership,
strengthening efforts to build the capacity of the Ukrainian military, and
more joint training and exercises."
With reporting by RFE/RL Brussels correspondent Rikard Jozwiak, Reuters,
AFP, AP, and Interfax
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