This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-eu-announce-sanctions-folllowing-vote-in-ukraine/2014/03/17/3223799c-add9-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html?wprss=rss_national-security

The article has changed 13 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
U.S., E.U. announce sanctions following vote in Crimea U.S., E.U. announce sanctions following vote in Crimea
(35 minutes later)
LONDON — The United States and the European Union on Monday slapped sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian officials deemed to be responsible for Crimea’s effort to join Russia, following through on a pledge the West had made before Sunday’s referendum.LONDON — The United States and the European Union on Monday slapped sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian officials deemed to be responsible for Crimea’s effort to join Russia, following through on a pledge the West had made before Sunday’s referendum.
The sanctions ordered by the Obama administration include asset freezes and a ban on travel to the United States for seven Russian and four Ukrainian officials. The sanctions by the European Union apply to 21 officials, although the officials have not yet been identified. The sanctions ordered by the Obama administration include asset freezes and a ban on travel to the United States for seven Russian and four Ukrainian officials, including ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. The sanctions by the European Union apply to 21 officials, although the officials have not yet been identified.
“Today’s actions send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including their actions supporting the illegal referendum for Crimean separation,” the White House said in a statement.“Today’s actions send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including their actions supporting the illegal referendum for Crimean separation,” the White House said in a statement.
The announcement came as E.U. foreign ministers met in Brussels to decide how hard to push Moscow a day after Crimeans voted to secede in a referendum that was condemned in Washington and in capitals across Europe. U.S. officials said those being sanctioned were either Putin “cronies” or political leaders who have been instrumental in either promoting the referendum in Crimea or military escalations. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the E.U. made “slight different choices” in its determination of whom to sanction.
The “lists have overlap both in terms of names and in terms of categories of people,” the official said.
The announcement in Washington came as E.U. foreign ministers met in Brussels to decide how hard to push Moscow a day after Crimeans voted to secede in a referendum that was condemned in Washington and in capitals across Europe.
The Obama administration promised last week to exact a cost if the vote in Crimea were held — even before new Russian military exercises on Ukraine’s eastern and southern borders and Saturday’s seizure of a Ukrainian gas plant just beyond Crimea’s northern boundary.The Obama administration promised last week to exact a cost if the vote in Crimea were held — even before new Russian military exercises on Ukraine’s eastern and southern borders and Saturday’s seizure of a Ukrainian gas plant just beyond Crimea’s northern boundary.
The question for the West is whether harsh retribution now will make Russian President Vladi­mir Putin more or less likely to desist from further action. Although he has so far been impervious to American and European threats, U.S. officials think that the cost the upheaval has already imposed on the Russian economy will become unbearable if Putin does not yield.The question for the West is whether harsh retribution now will make Russian President Vladi­mir Putin more or less likely to desist from further action. Although he has so far been impervious to American and European threats, U.S. officials think that the cost the upheaval has already imposed on the Russian economy will become unbearable if Putin does not yield.
The West could also suffer costs if Russia cuts off energy supplies to Europe and further squeezes the Ukrainian economy. But Western officials say that is a price they are willing to pay and have pledged economic support to Ukraine.The West could also suffer costs if Russia cuts off energy supplies to Europe and further squeezes the Ukrainian economy. But Western officials say that is a price they are willing to pay and have pledged economic support to Ukraine.