Russia-Ukraine ties sour further as Moscow imposes sanctions
MOSCOW — The bitter relations between Moscow and Kiev continued their downward spiral on Thursday, as the Russian government imposed economic sanctions against a broad cross section of Ukraine’s political and business elite.
The Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a decree freezing the assets of 68 businesses and 322 individuals, with the list reading like a who’s who of the Ukrainian government. The decree specified that those sanctioned would not be able to repatriate any financial holdings in Russia to Ukraine.
The decree said the step was being taken now to “counter Ukraine’s unfriendly activities toward Russian citizens and entities,” a reference to similar sanctions Kiev imposed on Russians earlier this summer.