Page:2020-07-29 PSI Staff Report - The Art Industry and U.S. Policies that Undermine Sanctions.pdf/25

 b. U.S. and E.U. Sanctions Following the Invasion of Crimea

In response to Russia's invasion of Crimea, both the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions against several key Russian individuals. Since these Crimea-related sanctions, the United States has imposed additional sanctions on Russia for a range of offenses, including human rights abuses, election interference, cyberattacks, weapons proliferation, trade with North Korea, support for the Syrian government, and use of a chemical weapon. As of July 2020, the list of individuals and entities sanctioned by the U.S. government related to Russia's annexation of Crimea stood at 701.

On March 6, 2014, the United States imposed sanctions on Russia, when President Obama issued an executive order under IEEPA and announced coordinated sanctions with the United Kingdom in response to Russia's "violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." That EO 13660 did not specifically reference Russia by name, but it did target those whose "actions or policies undermine democratic processes or institutions in Ukraine." President Obama further noted that the planned referendum would violate the Ukrainian constitution, as well as international law, and noted that the Ukrainian government must be included in any discussion of Crimea's future.

Following Crimea's referendum, the White House issued a statement saying, "the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law." President Obama then signed EO 13661 on March 16, 2014, finding that Russia's deployment of military forces to Crimea undermined the "democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the