International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis

The US has announced sanctions against Russia in response to what it says are cyber-attacks and other hostile acts.

The measures, which target dozens of Russian entities and officials, aim to deter "Russia's harmful foreign activities", the White House said.

Washington is expected to impose sanctions on Moscow as soon as next week

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late on Tuesday that new sanctions imposed by the United States were evidence of a "hostile anti-Russian lunge" and said it would retaliate to what it described as another blow to U.S.-Russia ties.

Ambassadors of 27 European Union nations have agreed further anti-Russian sanctions over the situation around Russian blogger Alexey Navalny, a source in one of the delegations told TASS on Monday.

New EU sanctions against Russia due to the situation around Alexey Navalny will be officially approved next week, President of the European Council Charles Michel said at a press conference following the first day of the EU online summit.

The European Union is likely to impose new sanctions on Russia over the Navalny case following the unsuccessful visit to Moscow by its top diplomat Josep Borrell, said experts interviewed by Izvestia. Borrell faced criticism in the EU, where his trip was deemed to be a failure.

The Kremlin on Jan. 24 accused the United States of interfering in Russia's domestic affairs and downplayed the scale of the weekend's protests when tens of thousands rallied in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

New U.S. sanctions will leave most of Turkey unaffected, including the National Defense Ministry, Turkish Armed Forces, and defense companies, the head of the Turkey's Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) said on Dec.17. 

Permanent representatives of the 27 member states of the European Union agreed on a six-month extension of economic sanctions against Russia, which expire on January 31, 2021, a source in the delegation of one of the European countries in the EU Council told TASS.

"Yes, the ambassadors have just agreed to extend the restrictive measures until July 31, 2021," the source said.

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on a key Turkish defence agency over Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system.

Turkey took possession of the Russian missiles last year, despite repeated warnings from the US that it would lead to sanctions.