"Despite U.S. impatience, European leaders had hesitated to slap tougher sanctions on Moscow for fear of harming their own struggling economies. However, their belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not only declined to rein in pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine but egged them on -- even after the crash of Flight 17 -- stiffened EU resolve to increase the pressure.
“The situation did not leave EU countries with any other option,” Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubbs said after EU ambassadors, including Finland’s, signed off on the new sanctions Tuesday afternoon at a meeting in Brussels."
Russians must be infuriated by the prankster just now...LoL!
“New arms deals, exports of energy and oil-drilling technologies, and sales of items with both civilian and military applications will be forbidden.”
Ah, now that France has already made its big arms deal with Putin, sanctions on “new deals” are to banned. Spineless hypocrites.
Obama should be telling U.S. energy importers that no Russian energy supplies (largest non-Opec crude oil supplier to the U.S. after Mexico) can come here. That will (1) make them cheaper elsewhere, which (2) will lower Putin’s revenue from them.
Does that mean they are not going to buy the oil and gas anymore?
It’s still small change and symbolic. You can’t do economic sanctions on a country with that much land mass and resources. It would be harder than putting economic sanctions on the United States.
Putin should just sends the Russian army and crushes the Ukraine, they ain’t got nothing to lose.
He has handled Crimea and this plane destruction terribly and forced actions against him that he didn't need to accomplish his goals.
Two arrogant idiots are creating a situation that is going to continue to lead to many unnecessary of deaths of people each more worthy than either of them.