Obama announces more Russian sanctions: 'We want the Ukrainian people to determine their own destiny'

Obama announces more Russian sanctions: &#039;We want the Ukrainian people to determine their own destiny&#039;

(Image credit: Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Making good on his threat earlier this week to punish Russia should it move to annex Crimea, President Obama on Thursday announced he was expanding U.S. sanctions to include more Russian officials, individuals, and a bank that have provided "material support" to Moscow's incursion. Obama also said he'd signed an executive order that would allow the U.S. to impose additional sanctions on "key sectors of the Russian economy" in the future, a move that would ratchet up the economic pressure on Russia.

"Mr. Putin should know that the Ukrainians shouldn't have to choose between the West and Russia," Obama said.

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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.