Trump’s America First foreign policy continues to take a nosedive as the U.S. government recently sanctioned Russian individuals and entities involved in Ukraine.
The sanctions were applied to six individuals and eight companies that were allegedly involved in an attack “on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait.”
American sanctions accompanied sanctions taken by the EU and Canada to counter Russia’s actions in Crimea and its support for separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced, “The United States and our transatlantic partners will not allow Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine to go unchecked. This joint initiative with our partners in the European Union and Canada reinforces our shared commitment to impose targeted and meaningful sanctions in response to the Kremlin’s attempts to disregard international norms and undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Russia has continued to intervene in Ukrainian affairs five years after its invasion and its annexation attempt in Crimea. On November 25, 2018, Russian forces attacked 3 Ukrainian ships off the Crimean coast, seizing them and capturing 24 Ukrainian crew members.
Russia continues to occupy Crimea, while it has backed elections in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic on November 11, 2018, which have been deemed illegitimate by the international community.
