Senate Dems Press Administration to Level Additional Sanctions on Russia
The Obama administration should impose additional sanctions on Russia in response to its support for secession in eastern Ukraine, said three Democratic senators on July 22, saying sanctions could help to prevent continued turmoil in the country. Russia is potentially culpable in the surface-to-air missile attack that downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and killed nearly 300 people on July 17, along with efforts to conceal evidence in the days that followed the attack, added Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Carl Levin, D-Mich. “We strongly urge you to aggressively exercise your authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and other relevant statutes to impose immediate broad sanctions against Russia’s defense sector, including state-owned Rosboronexport, in order to prevent Russia from providing weaponry, equipment, or assistance and training to separatists in Ukraine,” said the letter.
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Both the Ukrainian government and secessionist groups in the crash site vicinity deny responsibility in the attack. The flight crashed in the Donetsk province, a region where the Donetsk People’s Republic is waging a conflict over secession. The senators said the attack follows the downing of other aircraft that the secessionist group has claimed responsibility for, and called for consideration of the group as a foreign terrorist organization. The Obama administration added on July 16 the Donetsk People's Republic to the Specially Designated Nationals list and Entity List, along with several other Ukrainian and Russian individuals and companies (see 14071705). The administration has imposed a series of sanctions in response to the conflict over recent months (see 14032723). The senators urged more sanctions in the energy, financial and other sectors.