Obama expands sanctions on Russia

President of United States, Barack Obama, imposed sanctions against Russian officials and a bank Thursday and warned to apply more on the wider Russian economy if Moscow escalates actions against Ukraine.

“Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community,” Obama said at the White House.

The new measures aim a new list of 20 Russian government officials and legislators.

Obama made ​​his announced just hours after Russian lawmakers approved a treaty signed by Putin to annex the Ukrainian region of Crimea to Russia.

The U.S. decision freezes assets in U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. companies from doing business with sanctioned individuals.