Monday 17 March 2014 14.54 European Union foreign ministers have agreed sanctions against 21 Russian and Ukrainian officials deemed responsible for a contested independence referendum in Crimea, officials said.
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said in a tweet that the 21 would be targeted by travel bans and asset freezes, with "more EU measures in few days".
EU leaders are to hold summit talks in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, with the crisis in Ukraine expected to top the agenda.
The list of those sanctioned by the ministers will be released in the EU's daily Official Journal, but diplomats said 13 were from Russia and eight from Ukraine's Crimea region.
They were targeted "for undermining the sovereignty of Ukraine".
The ministers met after yesterday's referendum showed an overwhelming majority in Crimea voted in favour of joining Russia.
The EU condemned the vote as illegal and in violation of Russia's own international commitments to preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Minister for European Affairs Paschal Donohoe was to reiterate Ireland's call for a peaceful outcome to the situation in Crimea today in Brussels.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Donohoe said: "I will reiterate Ireland's support for all sides to work together towards a peaceful and negotiated solution which fully respects Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of its borders."
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said earlier that planned EU sanctions were unlikely to include the chiefs of big Russian energy companies.
Germany's Bild newspaper reported on Friday that the measures would include Gazprom head Alexei Miller and Rosneft head Igor Sechin.
"This is not expected at this time," Mr Kurz said when asked about the two men. "I think picking business bosses indiscriminately would be a wrong step."
Meanwhile, the US has extended its earlier sanctions and visa restrictions to include named members of the Russian government.
Eleven leading members have been named by the US, including two senior aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Crimea-based separatist leaders, former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and the current Russian deputy prime minister.
US President Barack Obama signed a new executive order in reaction to what it considers Russia's breach of international law.
The order lists seven Russian government officials whose property and financial interests in the US will be seized and who will not be allowed to enter the US.
In addition to those seven, the Department of Treasury has extended the sanctions to four others; Crimea-based separatist leaders Sergey Aksyonov and Vladimir Konstantinov; former Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Viktor Medvedchuk; and former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.
The US has said it will target those who use their resources or influence to help senior Russian government officials.
In a statement, the White House said that today's actions should serve as a notice to Russia that the US will take further action if it does not respect Ukraine's integrity and return its troops to their military bases.
US and EU response 'crucial'
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland has said the response from the EU and the United States to the disputed referendum could be crucial in preventing the conflict in Ukraine spreading elsewhere.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Sergei Reva said the US and the EU response to the referendum would be important as aggressive actions from Russia in Crimea could put the world on the brink of what he termed as "a new Cold War".
"The response from Brussels, the response from other Western countries is very ... crucial, because all Europe and all the world is now in very dangerous situation."
Mr Reva said he believed Russia's aggression in Crimea should not be tolerated in the 21st century.
He accused Russia of trying to spark an anti-Ukrainian movement in the eastern part of Ukraine, and not just in Crimea.
Any talk of a truce between pro-Moscow and pro-Kiev troops in Crimea would be welcome due to the continued risk of military conflict there, he said.
Responding to Mr Reva's comments, the Russian Ambassador to Ireland insisted that the referendum was "completely legal".
Maxim Peshkov said that more than 85% of the population had taken part in the vote; the vast majority of whom wished to rejoin the Russian Federation.
Mr Peshkov claimed that any sanctions imposed upon Moscow would be a doubled-edged sword, and equally painful for Europe and the US.
The ambassador said that while Russia, the EU and the US were partners in trade, economics, and diplomacy, Moscow also had strong links with other countries around the world.
Mr Peshkov said that Russia's military base in Crimea was "legal and legitimate" and that pro-Russian forces in the region were not being boosted by additional troops being sent from Moscow.
'Special' tax regime mooted
A complete, preliminary ballot count showed that 96.77% of voters in Crimea voted to join Russia in yesterday's referendum, the chairman of the regional government commission overseeing the referendum said.
Mikhail Malyshev spoke in remarks shown on Russian state television.
Russia's finance ministry said today that Moscow may offer a special tax regime for Crimea.
"Undoubtedly, the probable accession of Crimea to Russia will have a very serious impact," Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Shatalov told a local business conference.
"I do not rule out a special tax regime (during Crimea's transition period)," he added, without giving any further details.
US President Barack Obama spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin yesterday, telling him that he and his European allies were ready to impose "additional costs" on Moscow for violating Ukraine's territory.
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