US Congress passes Russia sanctions, Ukraine aid

The US Congress has approved further sanctions against Russia and economic aid to Ukraine, as there is no let-up in tensions over the Crimea crisis.

The Senate approved legislation by vote Thursday at the same time the House was passing a different version on a 399-19 vote, The Associated Press reported.

American lawmakers approved the measure backing a $1-billion loan guarantee to Ukraine.

The legislation would also give President Barack Obama more authority to impose sanctions against Moscow over its recent reintegration of Crimea.

“President Putin is watching … waiting to see if we have the resolve to act,” Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Bob Menendez said.

However, the bill leaves out pending International Monetary Fund reforms that were part of the Ukraine aid bill sought by the White House and backed by Senate Democrats.

The measure will be sent to the White House for Obama’s signature in the coming days.

The United States and the European Union have already applied other sanctions against Russian and Crimean officials involved in the crisis.

Washington has also imposed visa bans and asset freezes on senior business figures close to the Kremlin.

“Putin’s cronies should recognize that Putin may not be the right horse to be betting on any longer,” Menendez said.

Rejecting the Obama administration’s rhetoric, Moscow says Crimea legally joined the Russian Federation and that the Western sanctions are illegitimate.

Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier, in which nearly 97 percent of the participants voted in favor of the move.

On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of the Russian territory. He said the move was carried out based on the international law.

President Obama said that Washington does not recognize Crimea’s reunion with Russia, adding that the republic remains a part of Ukraine.