US, EU to punish Russia for annexing Crimea

(Vatican Radio) The United States has announced further sanctions against Russia, targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief of staff and 19 other individuals as well as a Russian Bank, while the European Union planned similar steps Thursday.

The moves are in protest against attempts by Russia to annex Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, overwhelmingly approved a controversial treaty on Thursday.

Listen to regional Correspondent Stefan Bos' report...

The United States has announced further sanctions on Russian officials and a Russian bank, while the European Union planned similar steps Thursday to protest attempts by Russia to annex Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

They prepared their actions whole Russian legislators began ratifying a treaty absorbing Crimea into the Russian Federation.


US President Barack Obama told reporters the sanctions would targeting President Vladimir Putin's chief of staff and 19 other individuals as well as a Russian Russian Bank Rossiya that provides them support.

He said he signed an executive order that would allow the U.S. to penalize key sectors of the Russian economy, including its huge energy business.


Officials said Obama could act on that authority if Russian forces press into other areas of Ukraine. Moscow said it would retaliate.


"The world is watching with grave concern as Russia has positioned its military in a way that could lead to further incursions into southern and eastern Ukraine," Obama explained.

RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT

Obama spoke shortly after Russian legislators approved a treaty signed by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to annex Crimea from Ukraine.


Thursday's vote took the Black Sea peninsula a step closer to joining the Russian Federation, though officials made clear that the integration process will take some nine-months.


European Union leaders were also expected to take further steps against Russia on Thursday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said measures would include suspending all G-8 summit meetings with Russia, and expanding a freeze of bank accounts and travel bans of people linked to the crisis.

Yet, Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin has defended his country’s actions in Crimea, saying voters had chosen to join Russia in a referendum held on Sunday.

'CRIMEA FROM RUSSIA'

He explained that "the coming together of Crimean and Russian people" is something they had been waiting "for 60 years" as in 1954 Crimea was given to Ukraine by than Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. He said that "through a democratic referendum the Crimean people realised their right to self-determination, which is enshrined in all United Nations charters and international acts.”


However NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested that Sunday's vote was held in an intimidating atmosphere thousands of Russian forces control the region.


“The annexation of Crimea through a so-called referendum held at gunpoint is illegal and illegitimate and it undermines all efforts to find a peaceful solution,” he said.


And there was no sign of peace Thursday, after Russian forces took control key Ukrainian naval bases and other sites, forcing Ukrainian troops to leave Crimea.