WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s imposition of new sanctions against Russia:

“With every promise to deescalate the crisis in Ukraine that Mr. Putin breaks, and with every lie about the role of Russia’s military he tells, he will face stronger condemnation from the global community, harsher consequences for his actions, and deeper isolation for his country.

“The sanctions announced today, along with new measures by the EU, hit Russia hard in some of its most vital sectors: banking, defense, and energy. At some point, Mr. Putin will have to take a look in his own back yard rather than trampling on his neighbor’s sovereignty. Russia’s economy is crumbling. Its currency is plummeting toward worthlessness. Its businesses are becoming cut off from the world. And western democracies are growing more and more united in our commitment to stop his aggressive behavior.”

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