Poroshenko Enacts New Sanctions Against Russia

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree to enact a recently adopted decision to expand sanctions on Russian companies and entities.

The presidential decree signed on May 14 appeared on the presidential website late in the evening on May 17.

The document did not carry the names of persons or companies included in the latest sanctions list.

Ukraine's Council of Security and Defense approved on May 2 the sanctions and mirror those of the United States, which blacklisted tycoons and allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kyiv has also extended existing sanctions it introduced against hundreds of Russian companies and entities in response to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Kremlin support for a pro-Russia separatist movement in the country's east.

The council has said the new sanctions would be in force for at least three years and include penalties on Russian lawmakers and top officials.

With reporting by Reuters