USA Today – by Aamer Madhani WASHINGTON — President Obama announced on Thursday that he is levying additional sanctions against 20 high-level Russian officials as well as a bank in response to Moscow’s move to annex the Crimea region of Ukraine.
Obama spoke just hours after Russia’s lower parliament ratified a treaty to make Crimea a part of the Russian Federation. Crimeans voted overwhelmingly in a hastily arranged referendum earlier this week to join Russia.
The White House has repeatedly called the referendum and Russia’s action “illegal.”
“This is not our preferred outcome,” Obama said in a statement from the South Lawn of the White House. “These sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the Russian economy, but could also be disruptive to the global economy. However, Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community.”
MORE: Treasury Department’s list of sanctions
Obama said that he also signed a new executive order Thursday that gives the United States authority to impose sanctions not just on individuals but on “key sectors of the Russian economy.” The new order gives the Treasury Department the ability to target individuals and institutions in Russia’s financial services, energy, metals and mining, defense, and engineering sector
Earlier this week, Obama announced sanctions against seven Russian officials with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as four Ukrainian that the White House says have contributed to the crisis in Ukraine.
Obama said in an interview on Wednesday that there is currently no military option being considered to respond to Russia’s action.
“But what we can do is stand up for principle, stand by the Ukrainian people,” Obama told KSDK-TV.
Obama will meet with leaders of the Group of Eight–minus Russia–next week in the Netherlands to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The meet will occur on the margins of the biennial Nuclear Security Summit.
British Prime Minister on Wednesday said the leaders should discuss expelling Russia from the G-8.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/20/obama-ukraine-statement/6647657/
These endless “executive orders” need to stop. If you want to sanction another country, I would think you would want to go to Congress first. What he is doing is nothing more than what a king would do.
Didn’t we have the problem of being ruled by a king back in the 1700s? I think there was a solution used then that needs to be used again!
this absolute Obummer, with phoney ID’s, backed by all elected officials of the USG…which makes each of them just as phoney(as most are aware of his fake personna to get to the WH) and none of them have exposed what they know of him, just the opposite,….then …that tells each of us living in the US…there is more evil ahead for us…stuff, likely few of us have ever witnessed in our lives….
Good does not show itself in this Manner.
Only evil shows itself with this story line…
Be prepared,…..Every One….
..
My Fellow Americans:
OOOOOoooooo!!!!!!
This move SCARED the Russians so much,.. that right after Ocrapo announced this,….. and the laughter died down in the Russian Parliament,… the DUMA voted to ask Ocrapo to BAN THE ENTIRE RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT! (This actually happened!)
Russians listen to Ocrapo,.. just because they need a good, hardy laugh!
JD – US Marines – Is it official yet? Are we now the laughing stock of the world??
yup…..
and not personally, surprised if the US and Russia at some level, are in the shadow’s together!….Only individual people in all the history of mankind, have ever really made a difference in tomorrow….for the then living,
And that means you and I have a chance..
to make a difference….
“and not personally, surprised if the US and Russia at some level, are in the shadow’s together!”
Excaclty see Missy’s post on “Tavistock”
““This is not our preferred outcome,” Obama said in a statement from the South Lawn of the White House.”
ROLMFAO!!! Oh it’s not now, is it? So you are in charge of Crimea’s fate now? Who the hell died and made you king? If I were Crimea, I’d swat Barry like the pest that he is.
Read between the lines, Barry! The Crimeans don’t want you and neither do We the People.
NO MORE WARS!!!