Russian President Vladimir Putin will sanction top US politicians and Obama administration officials in retaliation against Obama, who released his own sanctions against Russia. According to The Daily Beast, the list will be similar to Obama’s list.
Crimea voted Sunday to break away from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation after being occupied by Russia for nearly two weeks. Obama and the West promised sanctions against Russia if it annexed Crimea. Obama released a list of eleven people who cannot hold assets or travel to America. The European Union also placed sanctions on Russians but did not release the list.
There is no confirmation when Putin will announce his list, but he will address Russia’s parliament at 3:00 PM local time Tuesday regarding Crimea.
Likely at the top of the list is Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) who recently returned from Kyiv:
Durbin told The Daily Beast in a statement Monday: “My Lithuanian-born mother would be proud her son made Vladimir Putin’s American enemies list.”
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) might also be on the list. He was on the trip with Durbin:
“You think I’m not going to be on it?” McCain said. “I would be honored to be on that list.”
McCain said he would not be impacted financially by being subject to a visa ban and asset freeze in the Russian Federation.
“I guess I’m going to have to try to withdraw my money from my secret account in St. Petersburg,” he joked.
McCain also visited Kyiv when pro-West Ukrainians protested in Independence Square to oust Russia-backed president Viktor Yanukovych. On his recent trip, he told Ukraine’s parliament he would ask Obama to send the cash-strapped country weapons and military supplies.
On Monday morning, Crimea declared independence, seized all Ukrainian property, and disbanded Ukrainian military units in the peninsula. It issued a formal request to join Russia and flew members of its parliament to Moscow to meet with their counterparts.