U.S. in Talks With EU on Next Round of Sanctions on Russia

The U.S. is negotiating with European Union officials on a third round of sanctions to use against Russian industries if the former Soviet republic continues destabilizing Ukraine as it prepares for a May 25 election, two officials told Congress today.

“As the Kremlin’s decisions concerning the situation in Ukraine leave us with little choice but to continue to ratchet up the pressure, we will use the full range of sanctions authorities at our disposal, which will expose the weakness and vulnerability of the Russian economy,” Daniel Glaser, the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing, said in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington.