Among the targets is Igor Sechin, who has worked for Vladimir Putin since the early 1990s
The most eye-catching name on the new sanctions list is one of the hard men
of Russian politics, Igor Sechin. A former intelligence officer, and once
President Putin's closest ally in the Kremlin, he now runs Rosneft - the huge
state-controlled oil company.
Alexei Pushkov, who heads the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee
and often speaks for the Kremlin to English-language broadcasters is also on the
list, as are the deputy prime minister who was in charge of the Sochi Winter
Olympics and the head of the Kremlin bodyguards. Seventeen Russian companies face new sanctions, too. All are linked either to
President Putin's childhood friends and judo partners Arkady and Boris Rotenberg
or to another close friend and billionaire Gennady Timchenko - or to Bank
Rossiya, which the US government claims is the personal bank for senior Russian
officials.
Hennadiy Kernes was recovering after an operation to
repair damage to the chest and abdomen, but his life remained in danger, his
office said. Mr Kernes used to be a supporter of former pro-Moscow President Viktor
Yanukovych. He then dropped his support for Mr Yanukovych in favour of a united
Ukraine.
Monday also saw pro-Russian separatists seize a local government building in
Kostyantynivka, a town in the eastern Donetsk region. In Donetsk itself, pro-Russian activists armed with clubs and chains attacked
a pro-unity rally. A number of people were injured in the clash.
Western countries accuse Russia of actively supporting the activists in
Eastern Ukraine - a claim denied by Moscow. Separatists are also continuing to detain about 40 people in the town of
Sloviansk, including journalists, pro-Kiev activists and seven military
observers linked to the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) as well as three members of Ukraine's security service, according to officials in Kiev.
At an OSCE meeting in Vienna, Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin said Moscow was
taking "steps" to secure the observers' release. But the area around Sloviansk
was very tense and it had been "extremely irresponsible" to send them there, he
added. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon later called for the immediate and
unconditional release of the observers. Witnesses reported pro-Ukrainian demonstrators
being chased off by pro-Russians wielding metal
bars
Separately, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a phone call with his
US counterpart Chuck Hagel said Russian troops had returned to their permanent
positions after conducting military exercises on the border of Ukraine. But he did not say whether the overall number of Russian troops deployed in
the region - said to be around 40,000 - had been reduced. Meanwhile, Mr Hagel warned that Russia's continued aggression would result in
more diplomatic and economic pressure.The US and EU first imposed visa bans and asset freezes on a number of senior Russian officials and companies after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine last month. On Thursday, the White House said it was adding to its sanctions list "in response to Russia's continued illegal intervention in Ukraine and provocative acts that undermine Ukraine's democracy".
It accused Russia of "doing nothing to meet the commitments it made" at a meeting with Ukraine, the US and EU in Geneva on 17 April, which it said had included refraining from violence or provocative acts. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow's response would be "painful for Washington". He told the Interfax news agency the Kremlin was "disgusted" by the sanctions.
One pro-Russian in eastern Ukraine said, "Maybe we'll celebrate New Year... in Brussels or Berlin"
Among the seven government officials facing a US asset freeze and visa ban, two are seen as long-time allies:
- Mr Sechin is a former KGB officer and was deputy chief of staff during Mr Putin's first two presidential terms, when he masterminded Russia's energy policy
- Mr Chemezov is described by the US as a trusted ally dating back to the 1980s
- Alexei Pushkov is chairman of the committee of international affairs of Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma
- Most of the 17 companies targeted are linked to Arkady and Boris Rotenberg and Gennady Timchenko - individuals targeted in the previous sanctions list. The latest measures also targets some hi-tech exports that "could contribute to Russia's military capabilities".
No comments:
Post a Comment
Through this ever open gate
None come too early
None too late
Thanks for dropping in ... the PICs