WASHINGTON, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – The US House of Representatives adopted a non-binding resolution in a 402-7 vote on Tuesday to denounce Russia’s actions in Ukraine and urge the White House to exclude Russia from the G8 and impose sanctions on the country.
The lawmakers who voted for the resolution also called for sending OSCE observers to Crimea and other Ukrainian regions and urged NATO to suspend military cooperation with Russia, including the supply of military equipment.
The resolution urges the administration of US President Barack Obama to “work with our European allies and other countries to impose visa, financial, trade and other sanctions on senior Russian Federation officials, majority state-owned banks and commercial organizations, and other state agencies, as appropriate.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that potential sanctions over Ukraine would be a double-edged sword due to the interdependence of global trade.
The House resolution also proposes giving economic assistance to the new Ukrainian authorities and easing Ukraine’s energy dependence on Russia.
Commenting on the possibility of US financial assistance to the current Ukrainian authorities, ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled Kiev last month after months of large-scale anti-government protests, said during a news conference in Russia that Washington has no right “to finance bandits.”
The pro-Russian government of Crimea, a majority ethnic Russian region within Ukraine, declared independence Tuesday ahead of a referendum scheduled for March 16. The regional government has declared its intention to secede from Ukraine and become part of Russia, a move Moscow has said it will welcome.
Russia’s fellow G8 members – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – said in a joint statement with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission on Wednesday that the referendum in Crimea “will have no legal effect.”
“Given the lack of adequate preparation and the intimidating presence of Russian troops [in Crimea], it would also be a deeply flawed process which would have no moral force. For all these reasons, we would not recognize the outcome,” the statement continues.
The seven countries said last week they would freeze their preparations for the upcoming G8 summit in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
On Tuesday, Russia declared full support for the referendum and said it would recognize any outcome.
Recasts, updates with G8 statement, additional background.
