US Restricts Visas of Those Threatening Ukraine Security (2)

Bloomberg News

The Obama administration restricted visas for Ukrainian officials and others, including Russians, who it says are threatening the sovereignty of Ukraine.

President Barack Obama also authorized the imposition of financial sanctions, clearing the way for escalating pressure.

The actions are aimed anyone who threatens 'the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine,' White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a written statement.

They also would hit those who contribute to 'the misappropriation of state assets of Ukraine or purport to assert governmental authority over any part of Ukraine' without consent of the Ukrainian government, Carney said.

The White House didn't identify any individuals targeted.

The administration urged Russia 'to take the opportunity before it to resolve this crisis through direct and immediate dialogue with the government of Ukraine.' It also demanded an 'immediate pull-back of Russia's military forces to their bases,' according to the statement.

The announcement was made as Secretary of State John Kerry remained in consultations with U.S. allies and was preparing to meet with Sergei V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, later today in Rome. In the U.S., the House Foreign Affairs Committee planned to draw up a non-binding resolution today to encourage sanctions against Russia.

Isolating Russia

Kerry said March 2 that U.S. economic allies and some other countries are 'prepared to go to the hilt to isolate Russia.'

Kerry identified specific measures including sanctions on trade, banning U.S. visas for politicians, freezing Russian assets in the U.S., or a push to suspend Russia's membership in the G-8 bloc of industrialized nations.

Obama, in the executive order issued this morning, authorized Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to taker any further steps needed to carry out the directive. Other sanctions could include the freezing of assets or blocking American businesses or individuals from doing business with Russians or Ukrainians or others deemed a threat to Ukraine's security.

The order 'is a flexible tool that will allow us to sanction those who are most directly involved in destabilizing Ukraine, including the military intervention in Crimea, and does not preclude further steps should the situation deteriorate,' the White House said in the statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at skomarow1@bloomberg.net