The State Department says the U.S. is eyeing a new round of sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, but any new move against Moscow is unlikely until after a diplomatic meeting later this week in Geneva, Reuters reported.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says U.S. officials are actively discussing imposing new sanctions against individuals tied to the Russian government or linked to events in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Psaki said Tuesday that broader sanctions on Russian business sectors remain a viable option if the situation in Ukraine continues to escalate, Reuters reported. Armed, pro-Russian insurgents have seized control of buildings in at least nine cities in Ukraine's restive east.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton meets Thursday in Switzerland with Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine last month and the United States accuses Moscow of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian military forces are seeking to regain control of sites seized by pro-Russian separatists over the weekend, Reuters reported.
Russian, Ukrainian, U.S. and EU foreign ministers are due to gather in Geneva on Thursday to discuss the crisis, triggered by the February overthrow of Ukraine's pro-Moscow president, Viktor Yanukovych, after weeks of protests, according to Reuters.
One Western diplomat said European nations including Germany are reluctant to impose sanctions targeting entire sectors absent an outright Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine, Reuters reported. There are fears that wide-ranging sanctions could hurt vulnerable European economies.
The United States has imposed three rounds of sanctions as a result of the unrest in Ukraine and the Russian annexation of Crimea, though it has so far shied away from sectoral sanctions, according to Reuters.
