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Europe, US Set to Impose New Sanctions on Russia

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Armed pro-Russian separatists stand guard in the suburbs of Shakhtarsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine
Armed pro-Russian separatists stand guard in the suburbs of Shakhtarsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine
Asenior White House official says the United States expects the European Union to impose new, tougher sanctions on Russia for its continued support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, and that the United States also will take additional measures against Moscow.

Tony Blinken, a deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, spoke to reporters in Washington Monday after Mr. Obama discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine in a joint telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

The White House said the four leaders “agreed on the importance of coordinated sanctions measures on Russia for its continued transfer of arms, equipment, and fighters into eastern Ukraine,” including since the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. They also agreed to “press Russia to end its efforts to destabilize the country and instead choose a diplomatic path for resolving the crisis.”

Blinken said Russia has used the international attention to the downing of the Malaysian airliner as “a cover and distraction” to increase its deliveries of heavy weaponry, convoys of tanks, multiple rocket launchers, artillery and armored vehicles to the rebels. He added there is evidence Moscow is preparing to deliver “even more powerful multiple rocket launchers.”

He said Washington expects the EU to take significant steps this week, including in “key sectors of the Russian economy,” and that the United States also will implement “additional measures” in coordination with its European allies.

Russia, meanwhile, said it would not impose tit-for-tat measures or “fall into hysterics” over Western sanctions.

“We can’t ignore it. But to fall into hysterics and respond to a blow with a blow is not worthy of a major country,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

He added that sanctions could in fact have the opposite effect of making Russia more economically independent.

UN: Downing of MH17 could be ‘war crime’

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in rebel-held eastern Ukraine could be ruled a “war crime.”

Navi Pillay said Monday in a statement “the horrendous shooting down” of the aircraft on July 17 was a violation of international law that “may amount to a war crime.” She called for a “prompt, thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation” into the downing of the plane.

Pillay said every effort will be made to ensure that anyone committing serious violations of international law in the Ukraine conflict, “including war crimes,” will be brought to justice, “no matter who they are.”

U.S. analysts say the Malaysian airliner was shot down by a surface-to-air missile near the Russian border. U.S. experts have concluded that a Russian SA-11 “Buk” missile downed the aircraft and that ill-trained rebels likely fired the missile, mistaking the aircraft for a Ukrainian military plane. Rebels have dismissed the charge.

U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken said Monday he believes there are still SA-11 launchers in Ukraine, potentially in separatist hands.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian official said that analysis of the black boxes retrieved from the crash site showed it was destroyed by shrapnel from a missile blast causing a “massive explosive decompression.” Investigators in Britain, who downloaded the data, have not commented. They said they had passed information to the international crash investigation led by the Netherlands.

Fighting in the area where the plane crashed has forced a team of international investigators to abandon plans to gain access to the site for a second straight day. The team of Dutch and Australian experts said earlier Monday the group was renewing efforts to reach thesite.

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