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US, EU Impose More Sanctions on Russia. Moscow Threatens 'Painful' Response


The United States and European Union have imposed more sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine, and the Kremlin is promising a "painful" response.

The EU will not publish the names of the 15 individuals it is targeting for travel bans and asset freezes until Tuesday.

But the United States said the seven officials and 17 companies it is targeting include President Vladimir Putin's envoy to Crimea; the chief of the service protecting the Russian president; and the head of Rosneft, Russia's largest state-owned oil producer.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov expressed "disgust" at the new U.S. sanctions. He told Russian media they are based on "completely distorted" ideas of what is happening in Ukraine. Rybakov said Russia's response will be felt "painfully" in Washington.



Some U.S. lawmakers are complaining that the sanctions imposed on Russia so far are "tepid" and nothing more than "a slap on the wrist."

Republican Senator Bob Corker says he does not think diplomacy will change Russia's behavior until President Putin feels what Corker calls "the real pain of sanctions." He wants penalties against significant Russian financial institutions and Gazprom -- the state-run gas giant that Corker says Russia uses to coerce Ukraine and others.

Democrat Chris Murphy said Europe should be leading on imposing sanctions against Russia, instead of following.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday if Russia shows further aggression against Ukraine, the United States could place broader sanctions against sectors such as banking or the defense industry.

(OPTIONAL OBAMA SOUNDBITES)

"The goal here is not to go after Mr. Putin personally. The goal is to change his calculus with respect to how the current actions that he is engaging in in Ukraine could have an adverse affect on the Russian economy over the long haul, and to encourage him to actually walk the walk and not just talk the talk when it comes to diplomatically resolving the crisis in Ukraine."

"There is a path here to resolve this, but Russia has not yet chosen to move forward, and these sanctions represent the next stage in a calibrated effort to change Russia's behavior."
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