The United
States has announced more sanctions against Russia targeting the country's
largest bank as well as oil and defense industries. The new measures come hours
after the EU imposed new sanctions against Moscow.
Washington
announced the new sanctions on Friday against Russia for its involvement in the
Ukraine crisis.
The new
measures further limit the access of six major Russian banks to US debt and
equity markets, including Russia's largest by assets, Sberbank. The penalties
prohibit persons in the US from providing equity or debt financing of longer
than 30 days to the bank.
The
sanctions also target five defense companies and five Russian energy firms,
including Gazprom.
The move
comes hours after the EU imposed new sanctions aimed at cutting off the flow of
cash from European financial markets to top weapons and energy companies.
Brussels
and Washington moved forward on the bans despite a fragile ceasefire between
Ukraine and the pro-Russian separatists.
In response
to the EU sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that imposing
the measures, "at the very same time" as a truce is taking hold,
"means taking the path to disrupting the peace process."
In an
interview with Russian television, Lavrov said Moscow will respond
"quietly and appropriately and, first and foremost, to protect its own
interests."
The armed
conflict between Ukrainian and separatist forces has been raging since
mid-April and has claimed over 3,000 lives, according to United Nations
estimates.
hc/kms (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)
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