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EU, US to impose new sanctions against Russia

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The United States and the European Union (EU) are set to impose additional sanctions against Russia, including measures targeting Moscow’s key economic sectors, amid the crisis in Ukraine.

The announcement was made on Monday following a video conference on the crisis between US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy.

The US and EU sanctions are likely to target Russia’s energy, arms and financial sectors. Brussels is also considering the possibility of imposing punitive measures on individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The move comes as Washington accuses Moscow of increasing its troop presence on its border with Ukraine and supplying heavy weaponry to pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukrainian cities.

Tony Blinken, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said the move comes because the Western powers have not seen a change in Russia’s stance on the Ukraine crisis.

The developments come as members of the European Union are due to make a final decision later on Tuesday on widening the bloc’s sanctions against Russia. The measures include closing EU’s capital markets to Russian state banks, an arms sales embargo and restrictions on dual-use and energy technologies.

The US is expected to impose its sanctions after Europe has finalized its decision.

The Western powers have been accusing Moscow of playing a role in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which broke out when Kiev launched military operations to silence pro-Russia protests in April.

Threats of sanctions against Russia intensified further after Malaysian Flight MH17, which had been heading from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was reportedly shot down over Ukraine’s volatile Donetsk region on July 17.

Western powers accuse pro-Russia forces of downing the civilian airliner. The pro-Russians deny any involvement in the tragedy.

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