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| US imposes visa restrictions on Russian officials as Obama signs sanctions order | US imposes visa restrictions on Russian officials as Obama signs sanctions order |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| President Barack Obama has ramped up pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin by imposing visa restrictions on officials for “threatening the sovereignty of Ukraine” and signing an executive order enabling further sanctions against Moscow. | President Barack Obama has ramped up pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin by imposing visa restrictions on officials for “threatening the sovereignty of Ukraine” and signing an executive order enabling further sanctions against Moscow. |
| The White House said the measures were a response to Russia’s “ongoing violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, a reference to its intervention in the southern peninsula of Crimea. | The White House said the measures were a response to Russia’s “ongoing violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, a reference to its intervention in the southern peninsula of Crimea. |
| In Brussels, European leaders were at an emergency meeting to decide whether to impose their own sanctions on Russia. Before the summit, the European Union froze the assets of Ukraine’s ousted Russia-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych and 17 other officials suspected of violations of human rights and misuse of state funds. | In Brussels, European leaders were at an emergency meeting to decide whether to impose their own sanctions on Russia. Before the summit, the European Union froze the assets of Ukraine’s ousted Russia-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych and 17 other officials suspected of violations of human rights and misuse of state funds. |
| The Obama administration did not say how many people were subject to the visa bans or reference their nationality. However, the targets described as “officials and individuals” are believed to be Russians held responsible for the week-old occupation of Crimea. | The Obama administration did not say how many people were subject to the visa bans or reference their nationality. However, the targets described as “officials and individuals” are believed to be Russians held responsible for the week-old occupation of Crimea. |
| The White House said the visa restrictions reflected “policy decision to deny visas to those responsible for or complicit in threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” and was in addition to visa denials for figures close to the government of former president Victor Yanukovych, over oppression of protesters. | The White House said the visa restrictions reflected “policy decision to deny visas to those responsible for or complicit in threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” and was in addition to visa denials for figures close to the government of former president Victor Yanukovych, over oppression of protesters. |
| The president’s press secretary, Jay Carney, said the additional executive order “authorizes sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for activities undermining democratic processes or institutions in Ukraine”. He said those included: “threatening the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine; contributing to the misappropriation of state assets of Ukraine; or purporting to assert governmental authority over any part of Ukraine without authorization from the Ukrainian government in Kiev”. | The president’s press secretary, Jay Carney, said the additional executive order “authorizes sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for activities undermining democratic processes or institutions in Ukraine”. He said those included: “threatening the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine; contributing to the misappropriation of state assets of Ukraine; or purporting to assert governmental authority over any part of Ukraine without authorization from the Ukrainian government in Kiev”. |
| Carney added: “Depending on how the situation develops, the United States is prepared to consider additional steps and sanctions as necessary.” | Carney added: “Depending on how the situation develops, the United States is prepared to consider additional steps and sanctions as necessary.” |
| In a message to Congress, which is working on separate sanctions legislation that would give the president further sanctioning powers, Obama said: “I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the ‘order’) declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Ukraine.” | In a message to Congress, which is working on separate sanctions legislation that would give the president further sanctioning powers, Obama said: “I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the ‘order’) declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Ukraine.” |
| In Crimea, the regional government took matters into its own hands and announced it would hold a referendum on whether it should officially join Russia on 16 March. | In Crimea, the regional government took matters into its own hands and announced it would hold a referendum on whether it should officially join Russia on 16 March. |
| At a press conference in Sevastopol, Rustam Temirgaliev, the Crimean vice-premier, said the referendum was being held purely to ratify the decision of the Crimean parliament to join the Russian Federation, and the parliament had appealed to Russia to assist with this. | At a press conference in Sevastopol, Rustam Temirgaliev, the Crimean vice-premier, said the referendum was being held purely to ratify the decision of the Crimean parliament to join the Russian Federation, and the parliament had appealed to Russia to assist with this. |
| He said Crimea was Russian with immediate effect: “From today, as Crimea is part of the Russian Federation, the only legal forces here are troops of the Russian Federation, and any troops of the third country will be considered to be armed groups with all the associated consequences.” | He said Crimea was Russian with immediate effect: “From today, as Crimea is part of the Russian Federation, the only legal forces here are troops of the Russian Federation, and any troops of the third country will be considered to be armed groups with all the associated consequences.” |
| The referendum was immediately denounced as illegitimate by the new government in Kiev. | The referendum was immediately denounced as illegitimate by the new government in Kiev. |
| A referendum had already been scheduled in Crimea on 30 March, but the question to be put to voters was on whether their region should enjoy “state autonomy” within Ukraine. | A referendum had already been scheduled in Crimea on 30 March, but the question to be put to voters was on whether their region should enjoy “state autonomy” within Ukraine. |
| On Wednesday evening, the new leader of the Crimea region, Sergei Aksyonov, said pro-Russian forces had control of all of the peninsula and had blockaded all Ukrainian military bases yet to surrender. | On Wednesday evening, the new leader of the Crimea region, Sergei Aksyonov, said pro-Russian forces had control of all of the peninsula and had blockaded all Ukrainian military bases yet to surrender. |
| The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said on Wednesday that EU leaders could impose sanctions on Russia if the situation in Crimea had not defused by the time they met in Brussels on Thursday. While it may not have escalated, the crisis is far from defused. | The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said on Wednesday that EU leaders could impose sanctions on Russia if the situation in Crimea had not defused by the time they met in Brussels on Thursday. While it may not have escalated, the crisis is far from defused. |
| British prime minister, David Cameron, French premier François Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders met on Thursday morning before the summit to discuss a range of possible punitive economic sanctions against Moscow. | |
| The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has threatened Russia with isolation “diplomatically, politically and economically” if it does not withdraw from Crimea. | The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has threatened Russia with isolation “diplomatically, politically and economically” if it does not withdraw from Crimea. |
| As the EU meets, 40 unarmed military personnel are expected in Crimea on a mission by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation inEurope to try to defuse tensions in the region. | As the EU meets, 40 unarmed military personnel are expected in Crimea on a mission by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation inEurope to try to defuse tensions in the region. |
| Later, the 15-member UN security council will hold closed-door talks in New York – the fourth such consultations since Friday. | Later, the 15-member UN security council will hold closed-door talks in New York – the fourth such consultations since Friday. |