US imposes sanctions against Russia for meddling Ukraine internal affairs
A senior official of Ukraine said that "Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step," since it has had a military presence in the region for eight years.
Washington: President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday imposing sanctions against Russia for its decision of giving Independent status to breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine.
The US sanctions came after Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to announce Independent status to two rebel territories Donetsk and Luhansk.
Mr. Putin has announced, Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, located in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Giving independent status to two rebel territories of eastern Ukraine was a strategic move of Russia to move its troops these two regions to attack against Ukraine.
The order bars "new investment, trade and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in" the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic
The order also provides authority to impose sanctions on "any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine," Psaki said, adding the administration will later "announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments."
"To be clear: these measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine," Jen Psaki stated in the statement.
Soon after Putin's announcement, which he revealed in a speech during a public meeting of his security council, Mr. Biden convened a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. All three leaders have discussed the issue for over 30 minutes.
Biden also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for about 35 minutes. Mr. Biden called Zelensky to "reaffirm the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "strongly condemned" Putin's recognition of the disputed territories, stated in the press note.
In the UN security council meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his move to recognize the two territories "a clear attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "yet another example of President Putin's flagrant disrespect for international law and norms."
