One day after Crimea voted almost unanimously to break from Ukraine and join Russia in a referendum the West cast as illegitimate and potentially fraudulent, the White House on Monday announced new sanctions on Russian officials and their cohorts. The executive order accuses Moscow of trying to "undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine" and authorizes the Treasury to target the financial assets of seven government officials as well as "any individual or entity that operates in the Russian arms industry" and anyone who "acts on behalf of, or that provides material or other support" to any senior Moscow officials.
The sanctions specifically name seven Russian officials as well as four others, including pro-Russia Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, and ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not cited by name, with the White House saying such a move would be "highly extraordinary." Still, in a conference call to discuss the sanctions, a White House official called them the "most comprehensive sanctions applied against Russia since the end of the Cold War."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How military service works for K-pop idolsUnder The Radar All seven members of K-pop sensation BTS have now completed mandatory national service
-
The Week contest: Flight fraudPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confessionspeed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulderspeed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC paradespeed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museumspeed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attackSpeed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
