Sanctions!

Well, well, well, the European Union has announced new sanctions against Russian aggression in the Ukrainian Crimea peninsula.

On Monday the EU in Brussels decided to targeted measures against 21 officials from Russia and the Crimea. They are prohibited to enter the EU and their EU accounts are as of now frozen!

Also the United States proposes sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials. U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that Monday. Blacklisted are Russian politicians and high-ranking soldiers, eight Crimean politicians are also blacklisted by the EU, according to the German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The list may be supplemented in the near future, possibly already at the European summit later this week in Brussels!

The U.S. sanctions will apply for, among others, Prime Minister Sergei Aksjonov of Crimea and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. The latter is the head of the Russian arms industry. Their funds are as of now, frozen!

The new sanctions are the result of the controversial referendum on the connection of the Crimea to Russia. Earlier this month, the EU decided to suspend all negotiations on visa-free movement and a new general agreement with Russia. Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans mentioned earlier Monday new EU sanctions against Russia inevitable.

The European Union recently announced at a special summit, that if Russia would proceed with the controversial referendum that the EU would have no other choice then to issue sanctions. 

To put more pressure on Russia, the EU will take a third step and that will include tough economic sanctions.

I wonder when the Russians will come with their sanctions against the EU en the US! This just is a situation where there will be no winner, not Russia, not the US and certainly not the EU!