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unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 10:00 AM Mar 2014

Europe imposes first round of sanctions on Crimean, Russia officials

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-european-union-russia-sanctions-20140317,0,3436623.story



European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton takes reporters' questions before a meeting in Brussels.

Europe imposes first round of sanctions on Crimean, Russia officials
By Henry Chu This post has been updated, as indicated below.
March 17, 2014, 5:41 a.m.

LONDON — Europe’s top diplomats began huddling in Brussels on Monday to finalize sanctions on individuals leading the drive to split Crimea off from Ukraine and deliver it to Russia. The EU effort is likely to increase tensions with Moscow.

Foreign ministers from the 28 nations of the European Union say they are united in condemning Sunday’s secession vote in Crimea as illegal, invalid and worthy of a strong riposte. That response will start with travel bans and asset freezes on people who the EU believes facilitated Russia’s military incursion into the Crimean peninsula and expedited the referendum on breaking away from Ukraine.

The blacklist is likely to include several dozen officials in Crimea’s Russian-backed regional government and in Moscow itself, though President Vladimir Putin’s name is not expected to appear on the list.

(Updated, 6:25 a.m. PDT March 17: A few hours after their meeting in Brussels began, the EU foreign ministers announced that they had imposed the travel restrictions and asset freezes on 21 Crimean and Russian officials. The names were not immediately released.)
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