New US and EU Sanctions Against Russia Related to Ukraine

On Friday, March 15, the United States and the European Union imposed new sanctions on individuals and institutions in Russia due to the seizure of Ukrainian sailors' boats by Russian forces in the Kerch Strait. The US Treasury Department stated that it has sanctioned eight institutions and six Russian citizens. The European Union has also announced an agreement to sanction eight Russian citizens. Western countries: We will not forget or abandon Crimea. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and has supported separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In November 2018, the Russian Navy captured 24 Ukrainian naval personnel and seized their vessels in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. The Russian government has not yet accepted the EU's request for the release of the Ukrainian soldiers. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin stated that the United States and its allies across the Atlantic will not allow Russia's aggression against Ukraine to go unanswered. He added that this joint action with partners in the European Union and Canada demonstrates our shared commitment to impose targeted and meaningful sanctions in response to the Kremlin's efforts to disregard international law and undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Treasury Department mentioned that four Russian officials involved in the Kerch Strait attack have been sanctioned. The US Treasury has also sanctioned six Russian defense companies that provide services to the Russian army in Crimea. According to the US Treasury website, Gennady Medvedov, Deputy Head of the Border Guard Security Service of Russia, Sergey Stankovich, Commander of the Russian Border Guard Forces, and Andrey Shein, Deputy Commander of the Russian Border Guard Forces have been sanctioned. The report states that Gennady Medvedov and Andrey Shein commanded operations against Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait. Despite the EU and US sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis, Moscow has emphasized that it will not return Crimea, and sporadic clashes in eastern Ukraine continue. Since the beginning of these conflicts in 2014, over 10,000 people have been killed.