WASHINGTON, March 20 (RIA Novosti) – US President Barack Obama on Thursday announced new sanctions against Russia over its reunification with Crimea.
Obama said more Russians were added to the blacklist of individuals, who are subject to travel restrictions and whose assets in the US will be frozen.
"We're imposing sanctions on more senior officials of the Russian government,” Obama said.
The US president also mentioned that sanctions will be imposed on The Rossiya Bank.
“In addition, we are today sanctioning a number of other individuals with substantial resources and influence who provide material support to the Russian leadership, as well as a bank that provides material support to these individuals," he continued.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury said on Thursday its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated sixteen Russian government officials and four individuals who provide “material support” to the Russian government.
The list includes presidential aide Andrei Fursenko, Presidential Executive Office Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov, head of Russia’s military intelligence service GRU Igor Sergun, head of Russia’s railway monopoly RZD Vladimir Yakunin and a number of senior lawmakers.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the existence of any types of blacklists is “absolutely inadmissible for Russia, no matter who is on the list.”
“Anyway, Russia’s reaction… will follow soon, on the basis of reciprocity,” he said.
A presidential executive order, published by the White House later in the day, also envisages sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, such as energy, finance, defense, mining, machine-building and others.
The US and EU announced asset freezes and travel bans targeting a number of Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin on Monday, following Crimea’s referendum on secession.
Crimea, previously an autonomous republic within Ukraine, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government in Kiev that came to power amid often violent protests last month and sought reunification with Russia after 60 years as part of Ukraine.
The reunification treaty, which sparked the most serious geopolitical showdown between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War, was ratified by the State Duma on Thursday.
