The US Congress has passed a bill aimed at providing financial aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives approved the bill in a 378-34 vote and sent the measure to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign into law. The package was overwhelmingly endorsed last week by the Senate.
The legislation would provide $1 billion in US loan guarantees to the new authorities in Kiev and spend more than $100 million "to promote democracy and security” in Ukraine. It also imposes mandatory sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes, on Russian and Ukrainian officials allegedly involved in Russia's recent reintegration of Crimea.
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier, in which nearly 97 percent of the participants voted in favor of the move.
On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of the Russian territory. Putin said the move was carried out based on the international law.
"This legislation is central to our effort to counter Russian aggression and support the democratic development of Ukraine," said California Republican Representative Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Obama has called on Russia to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine or face the consequences of more sanctions.
"We're coordinating around the potential for additional, deeper sanctions should Russia move forward and engage in further incursions in Ukraine," Obama said on March 26 at a news conference in Brussels after a meeting with European Union leaders.
"If Russia stays on its current course the consequences for the Russia economy will continue to grow," he added.
