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Anti-Russian sanctions

EU adds five names to blacklist over Russian presidential election in Crimea — source

The Council of the European Union has made a decision to include another five Crimean officials on its blacklist for their role in organizing the Russian presidential election on March 18

© AP Photo/Michel Euler

BRUSSELS, May 14. /TASS/. The Council of the European Union has made a decision to include another five Crimean officials in its blacklist for their role in organizing the Russian presidential election on March 18, 2018, a diplomatic source in Brussels said.

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"The EU Council made a decision to put another five individuals on the blacklist for taking action undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty in the context of organization of voting in Crimea in the Russian presidential election on March 18, 2018," he said, adding that the decision would take effect on Tuesday, the moment it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Currently, several packages of EU restrictive measures against Russia are in force: sectoral economic sanctions, blacklists of individuals and economic entities, and a package of sanctions against Crimea.

Crimea’s reunification with Russia

Crimea’s legislature and the city council of Sevastopol on March 11, 2014 adopted a declaration of independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol amid a political crisis and change of power in Ukraine. On March 16 Crimea and Sevastopol held referendums in which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of the people of Sevastopol voted for reunification with Russia. In both cases the turnout was above 80%. Ukraine, the United States and the European Union refused to recognize the independence of Crimea and its reunification with Russia.

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Sanctions vs. Russia

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