(C) Minnesota Reformer
   This unaltered story was originally published on MinnesotaReformer.com [1]
   Licensed under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 [2]
   ------------------

Biden to impose sanctions on pro-Russian separatist region of Ukraine

By:   ['Jennifer Shutt', 'More From Author', '- February'], Minnesota Reformer
Date: 2022-02

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will soon issue an executive order imposing sanctions on investment, trade and financing within the two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin declared independent Monday.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement the administration “anticipated a move like this from Russia” and would be imposing the sanctions within the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic.

“To be clear: these measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine,” Psaki said.

The sanctions, which will be detailed later by the State and Treasury Departments, will “prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine.”

The executive order will “also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine,” Psaki said.

The announcement followed a lengthy speech from Putin during which he called Ukraine “a colony with puppets at its helm” before declaring the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic independent.

“Ukraine has never had its own authentic statehood. There has never been a sustainable statehood in Ukraine,” Putin said.

Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for about 35 minutes following the speech, according to a White House official. Biden also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Monday afternoon.

Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet that he and Biden “discussed the events of the last hours.”

Monday’s events struck a much different tone than those on Sunday when Biden agreed to meet Putin “in principle” as long as Russia didn’t further invade Ukraine.
[END]

[1] Url: https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/biden-to-impose-sanctions-on-pro-russian-separatist-region-of-ukraine/
[2] Url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Minnesota Reformer via Magical Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/MnReformer/