NOVANEWS
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A separatist tank. Separatist leaders have been targeted by the latest round of U.S. sanctions
The United States has sanctioned eight top Ukrainian separatists and the Russian National Commercial Bank, while beefing up military aid to Kiev.
The United States will increase military aid to the Ukrainian government, an unnamed U.S. government official said Wednesday.
According to Reuters, the anonymous official said as many as 30 armored humvee vehicles and drones could be sent to Kiev within
Just hours later, Bloomberg reported it had obtained a statement that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had approved a new aid package worth US$17.5 billion to the government in Kiev.
The report came a day after the United States imposed new sanctions on Ukrainian separatists and a Russian bank.
The Russian National Commercial Bank was sanctioned for doing business in Crimea.
Eight prominent separatist leaders, including the chair of a rebel electoral commission Roman Lyagin, have been barred from doing business with U.S. financial institutions. The separatist officials have been accused of undermining Ukraine’s cease-fire, though both the Ukrainian military and separatist fighters have been accused of cease-fire violations.
The cease-fire was struck last month in Minsk, Belarus. The Minsk peace deal not only required the cessation of violence, but also required the withdrawal of heavy artillery from the front lines of fighting in eastern Ukraine and for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the conflict area.
Violence has lessened in the weeks following the Minsk agreement, however there has still been some incidences. Every day since the cease-fire was scheduled to go into effect, both sides have accused the other side of violating the agreement.
According to Reuters, the anonymous official said as many as 30 armored humvee vehicles and drones could be sent to Kiev within
Just hours later, Bloomberg reported it had obtained a statement that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had approved a new aid package worth US$17.5 billion to the government in Kiev.
The report came a day after the United States imposed new sanctions on Ukrainian separatists and a Russian bank.
The Russian National Commercial Bank was sanctioned for doing business in Crimea.
Eight prominent separatist leaders, including the chair of a rebel electoral commission Roman Lyagin, have been barred from doing business with U.S. financial institutions. The separatist officials have been accused of undermining Ukraine’s cease-fire, though both the Ukrainian military and separatist fighters have been accused of cease-fire violations.
The cease-fire was struck last month in Minsk, Belarus. The Minsk peace deal not only required the cessation of violence, but also required the withdrawal of heavy artillery from the front lines of fighting in eastern Ukraine and for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the conflict area.
Violence has lessened in the weeks following the Minsk agreement, however there has still been some incidences. Every day since the cease-fire was scheduled to go into effect, both sides have accused the other side of violating the agreement.
