Here Putin's advisor Glazyev argues that EU bureaucrats are true Hitler's heirs. Not him, no no no. (RUS) http://t.co/qfyk2pgVQl
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) July 29, 2014
While the EU and the United States ratchet up sanctions on Moscow, Russia is ratcheting up the pressure on Kyiv by banning imports of Ukrainian fruit, vegetables, and fish (from RFE/RL's news desk):
Russia's ban on imports of canned fruits, vegetables, and fish from Ukraine has gone into effect.
The ban was introduced by Russia's consumer rights agency Rospotrebnadzor because it says those Ukrainian products violate Russian laws on labeling and have inaccurate ingredient listings.
Rospotrebnadzor cited violations by Ukrainian canned-food companies in Odesa, Nezhin, and Vinnytsia.
Russia most recently banned Ukrainian dairy products and has also prohibited chocolate made by Roshen, the company owned by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Critics claim the Russian bans have no real basis and are politically motivated because of Kyiv's signing of Association Agreements with the European Union.
Russia's Federal Customs Service said Ukrainian imports of agricultural products into Russia totaled some $495 million in the first six months of this year.
(ITAR-TASS, Ukrainian News Agency)
Over 60% of Russians aren't concerned over latest round if sanctions against Russia http://t.co/0xzSVraQiH
— Ryskeldi Satke (@RyskeldiSatke) July 29, 2014
MH17 changed nothing. The war goes on. @maxseddon from Donetsk http://t.co/i8QL8TF5x0
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) July 29, 2014
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with more details concerning the sanctions announced by the United States and some EU countries last night (From RFE/RL's news desk):
The European Union is planning to add five more people and Russia's Sberbank and VTB Bank on its sanctions list of Russian companies and individuals, "The Wall Street Journal" reports.
The report on wsj.com late last night was based on diplomatic sources and said the EU sanctions would limit the operational ability of major Russian banks, including Sberbank and VTB Bank.
The newspaper did not give the names of the people who the diplomatic sources said would be added to the sanctions blacklist, but they were reported to be Russian oligarchs who have supported pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The report said the measures are part of a plan to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who the United States and the EU accuse of providing training, personnel, and weapons to the separatists.
(wsj.com, ITAR-TASS)
We are now closing down the live blog for today. Don't forget that you can keep abreast of all our ongoing Ukraine coverage here.
Here's another update from RFE/RL's news desk:
Ukraine has asked the United States for "additional security assistance," according to a Pentagon statement summarizing a call between Ukraine Minister of Defense Valeriy Heletey and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on July 28.
Hagel responded that the U.S. government would review such requests beginning with discussions via the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
The request comes as fighting between separatist militants and the Ukrainian government intensified in the area of eastern Ukraine near where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down.
The United States is giving the Ukrainian government $33 million in nonlethal military assistance.
However, thus far the Obama administration has refrained from giving the Ukrainian government any sort of lethal assistance such as ammunition or weapons.
This is what a war in Europe really looks like - superb reporting (as usual) by @annanemtsova: http://t.co/1YCQYmlW3Q
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) July 28, 2014
#Donetsk regional administration: Fourteen civilians killed in #Horlivka http://t.co/dUItoJfz8X
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) July 28, 2014
Parents of a #MH17 victim sit on a piece of wreckage as they visit the site: Editor's Choice: http://t.co/PE8QMjqYhs pic.twitter.com/8X4q9YAu7L
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 28, 2014