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During the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, a number of governments applied sanctions against individuals and businesses from Russia and Ukraine. Sanctions were approved by the United States, the European Union and other countries and international organisations. Russia has responded with sanctions against a number of countries, including a total ban on food imports from the European Union, United States, Norway, Canada and Australia.

Background

In response to the Crimean Crisis and the subsequent annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, some governments, led by the United States and European Union, imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and businesses. As the unrest expanded into parts of Eastern Ukraine, and later escalated into the ongoing War in Donbass, the scope of the sanctions increased. The Russian government responded in kind, with sanctions against some Canadian and American individuals and, in August 2014, with a total ban on food imports from the the European Union, United States, Norway, Canada and Australia.

Sanctions against Russia

The first sanctions against Russia during the crisis were in March 2014. These were imposed to prevent Russian and Crimean officials and politicians traveling to Canada, the United States, and the European Union. They were the most wide-ranging used on Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.Japan announced sanctions including the suspension of talks relating to military, space, investment, and visa requirements. In response to the sanctions introduced by the U.S. and E.U., the Russian Duma unanimously passed a resolution asking for all members of the Duma to be included on the sanctions list. The sanctions were expanded a few days later to include prominent Russian business people.

On 28 April 2013, the United States imposed a ban on business transactions within its territory on seven Russian officials, including Igor Sechin, and 17 Russian companies. On the same day, the European Union issued travel bans against a further 15 individuals.

On 17 July 2014, the United States extended its transactions ban to two major Russian energy firms, Rosneft and Novatek, and two banks, Gazprombank and Vneshekonombank. On 25 July, the EU again expanded its sanctions to an additional 15 individuals and 18 entities, followed by an additional 8 individuals and three entities on 30 July.

Ukraine itself still continues military-industrial cooperation with Russia, including servicing of the Russian nuclear arsenal by Ukraine

Sanctions by Russia

Three days after the first sanctions against Russia, on 20 March 2014, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a reciprocal sanctions list of US citizens, which consisted of 10 names, including House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, Senator John McCain, and two advisers to Barack Obama. The ministry said in the statement, "Treating our country in such way, as Washington could have already ascertained, is inappropriate and counterproductive", and reiterated that sanctions against Russia would have a boomerang effect. On 24 March, Russia imposed sanctions on 13 Canadian officials including members of the Parliament of Canada, banning them from entering the country.

On 6 August 2014, Putin signed a decree “On the use of specific economic measures”, which mandated an effective embargo for a one-year period on imports of most of the agricultural products whose country of origin had either "adopted the decision on introduction of economic sanctions in respect of Russian legal and (or) physical entities, or joined same". The next day, the Russian government ordinance was adopted and published with immediate effect, which specified the banned items as well as the countries of provenance: the United States, the European Union, Norway, Canada and Australia, including a ban on fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy imports. Prior to the embargo, food exports from the European Union to Russia were worth around €11.8 billion, or 10% of the total. Food exports from the United States to Russia were worth around €972 million. Food exports from Canada were worth around €385 million. Russia had previously taken a position that it would not engage in "tit-for-tat" santions, but, announcing the embargo, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said "There is nothing good in sanctions and it was not an easy decision to take, but we had to do it." He indicated that sanctions relating to the transport manufacturing sector were also being considered. United States Treasury spokesperson David Cohen said that sanctions affecting access to food were "not something that the US and its allies would ever do".

On the same day, Russia announced a ban on the use of its airspace by Ukrainian aircraft.

List of sanctioned individuals

References

1. US imposes second wave of sanctions on Russia
2. Katakey, Rakteem (March 25, 2014). "Russian Oil Seen Heading East Not West in Crimea Spat". bloomberg.com. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
3. Japan imposes sanctions against Russia over Crimea independence | Fox News
4. "All Russian MPs volunteer to be subject to US, EU sanctions". 2014-03-18. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
5. Farchy, Jack; Hume, Neil (March 21, 2014). "Russian share prices drop as sanctions bite". ft.com.
6. "U.S. levels new sanctions against Russian officials, companies". Haaretz. 28 April 2014.
7. "EU strengthens sanctions against actions undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity". International Trade Compliance. 28 April 2014.
8. Third Wave of Sanctions Slams Russian Stocks
9. "restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine".
10. "Council Decision 2014/508/CFSP of 30 July 2014 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine".
11. Review of Ukrainian press, August 4 2014
12. Sanctions tit-for-tat: Moscow strikes back against US officials RT
13. Steven Chase (March 24, 2014). "Russia imposes sanctions on 13 Canadians, including MPs". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
14. Putin bans agricultural imports from sanctioning countries for 1 year RT, August 06, 2014.
15. "Western food imports off the menu as Russia hits back over Ukraine sanctions". The Guardian. 7 August 2014.
16. Указ Президента РФ от 6 августа 2014 г. N 560 "О применении отдельных специальных экономических мер в целях обеспечения безопасности Российской Федерации"
17. О мерах по реализации Указа Президента России «О применении отдельных специальных экономических мер в целях обеспечения безопасности Российской Федерации»
18. ^ "Russia hits West with food import ban in sanctions row". BBC News. 7 August 2014.
19. "Russia sanctions: Vladimir Putin retaliates, sanctions Canada". CBC News. 7 August 2014.
20. "Russia threatens to go beyond food sanctions". Financial Times. 7 August 2014.

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