Позабавило решил поделится, тем более, что в тему и вроде новости.
прошу прощения что на англицком
A Russian-backed referendum called for this weekend in eastern Ukraine could trigger new sanctionsagainst Moscow, the Obama administration said Tuesday.
"If we have a separatist referendum that is recognized by Russia and results in Russian peacekeepers" moving into eastern Ukraine, "that will be a trigger," Victoria Nuland, the State Department's top diplomat for Europe, told a Senate hearing.
"Why wouldn't we just do it now, if we know that's where [the situation in eastern Ukraine] is headed?" Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) asked about the sanctions.
Nuland said that the administration was watching the situation in the east "intensely" but that U.S. actions would be more effective if they were coordinated with the still-skittish European Union, whose 28 members are not agreed on the sanctions.
"Keeping the cats herded is a challenge for the Europeans," Nuland said.
Nuland repeated what she called the "four pillars" of administration policy that she outlined in a hearing last month — "supporting Ukraine, reassuring NATO allies" in eastern Europe, "creating costs for Russian behavior, and keeping the door open to de-escalation."
So far, the administration has imposed asset freezes and visa bans on 45 Russian individuals close to President Vladimir Putin and 19 companies they control. It has temporarily sent air and naval assets, along with small numbers of troops, to fearful NATO allies close to Russia's borders and said it would extend previously scheduled military exercises in the region. Europe has imposed its own targeted sanctions and agreed to participate in NATO reinforcements but has been slow to agree to the sectoral sanctions the administration has said are its next step.
It was uncertain whether Nuland's "trigger" comments on the referendum referred to further sanctionsagainst individuals or against economic sectors.
Lawmakers also questioned the administration's reluctance to provide lethal aid to Ukraine's military. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn N. Farkas said that $18 million in nonlethal assistance — including uniforms, military meals and vehicles — had been provided. She said that additional requests are being considered but that "we will never be able to, in a short period of time, build up the Ukrainemilitary to be a modern, agile force" capable of combating the Russians.
But, she said, the Defense Department could do more if it had more money.
Farkas declined to respond to persistent questioning by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), to "
give me a number."
US senators were split Tuesday over when to impose new sanctions on Russia, with Republicans saying President Barack Obama should not wait until Ukraine's upcoming election before slapping Moscow with sector-wide penalties.
The White House has said it remains prepared to impose biting new sanctions on Russia, which has annexed the Crimean peninsula and furthered its aggression in unrest-plagued eastern Ukraine, should its forces disrupt Ukraine's May 25 poll.
"If we don't act now and wait til the elections, my fear is it'll be too late," Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said as she and other lawmakers emerged from a classified briefing on Ukraine.
Graham, meanwhile, said sectoral sanctions against Russia would hurt the US economy.
"But the price we would pay, I think, would be worth it to bring about some stability and make Russia pay a price."
