US, EU to impose new sanctions on Russia this week

The United States and Europe will slap new sanctions against Russia this week in the wake of its continued assistance to rebels in eastern Ukraine, US media reported Monday.

"We expect the European Union to take significant steps" this week to target Russia's economy, news website The Hill quoted Tony Blinken, US President Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser, as saying.

Blinken said the United States will also impose additional costs itself, according to The Hill.

On Monday, Obama spoke about these next steps in a video conference call with British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Blinken said.

"Russia is headed for economic contraction, not growth, which is a reversal" because of existing Western sanctions, said Blinken, who did not elaborate on the details of the forthcoming sanctions.

Over the conference call on Monday, the world leaders stressed the continued need for unrestricted access to the shoot-down site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 to allow for recovery of victims' remains and for international investigators to proceed with their efforts, the White House said in a statement.

The US and European leaders also discussed situations in Gaza, Iraq and Libya, said the statement.......................http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/873117.shtml
29/7/14
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Related:

• Canada levels sanctions against Russia, Ukrainian rebels

• Germany calls for quick decisions on further EU sanctions over Ukraine

• Today's Actions on Ukraine by the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council (U.S. State Department)

• British PM David Cameron calls on Europe to impose 'hard-hitting sanctions' on Russia

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• Putin Warns Against Attempts to Destabilize Russia From Within (Security Council meeting on issues of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity)