Main News of March 21

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* The European Union announced a $1.4 billion increase in its aid package to Ukraine, hours after Kiev signed the political part of its association agreement with Brussels

* The European Union extended asset freezes and travel bans on 12 Russian and Crimean officials allegedly responsible for what the West considers the seizure of Ukraine’s former region of Crimea by Russia

RUSSIA

* Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the ratification of the treaty providing for the reunification of the Crimean Peninsula with Russia

* US-based Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. have stopped processing payments by cardholders at Russian banks targeted by the United States for financial sanctions, a number of Russian banks said