US imposes new sanctions on Russia

WASHINGTON - The White House on Monday announced fresh sanctions on Russia, targeting seven government officials and 17 companies linked to the inner circle of President Vladimir Putin.

The White House said the seven Russians, who include Igor Sechin, head of Russia's major oil company Rosneft and a close ally of Putin, are now subject to a freeze on any assets they hold in the United States and a ban on US travel.

In addition, the United States will deny export license applications for any high-technology items that could contribute to Russian military capabilities. The Commerce and State Departments will revoke any existing export licenses that meet these conditions, the White House said.

It was the third round of sanctions that the United States has imposed on Russia. All of the sanctions have been aimed at specific individuals and businesses.

The other people named were Oleg Belavencev, Sergei Chemezov, Dmitry Kozak, Evgeniy Murov, Aleksei Pushkov and Vyacheslav Volodin.

President Barack Obama has made clear, however, that should Russia launch a military move deeper into Ukraine, the United States will slap sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy, such as the financial services, energy, metals and mining, engineering and defense sectors.

The White House said the latest round of sanctions was in reaction to Russian failure to meet its commitments under a mid-April agreement to de-escalate the crisis.