U.S. issues fresh sanctions over Ukraine's Crimea: Treasury

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday issued a fresh round of sanctions related to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, targeting eight individuals and a Moscow-based railway company, the U.S. Treasury Department said.

The United States has imposed a series of sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow has since built up military infrastructure on the peninsula.

The latest move comes a day before a visit to Ukraine by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The officials blacklisted on Wednesday include Yuri Gotsanyuk, named prime minister of Crimea’s pro-Russian regional government after the 2019 election, and six others, a Treasury statement said.

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Treasury said the individuals also were blacklisted by Canada on Wednesday.

The sanctions follow action taken on Tuesday by the European Union, which blacklisted seven of the same people, including Gotsanyuk.

Also blacklisted is Moscow-based railway company Grand Service Express, which operates in the Crimea region, and its Chief Executive Officer Alexander Ganov.

The U.S. sanctions block assets under its control and prohibit U.S. individuals and businesses from conducting transactions with those targeted.

 “Treasury’s action, taken in close coordination with our international allies and partners, reiterates our unwavering support for restoring free and fair democratic political processes in Crimea,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.