Ukraine applauds new EU sanctions against Russia

Kiev, July 17 (IANS) Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko Thursday hailed new sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) against Russian entities, saying it showed Europe's solidarity with Ukraine.

"The European Council has taken an important step in support of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence," Xinhua quoted Poroshenko as saying on his official Twitter account.

EU leaders at a special meeting of the European Council Wednesday agreed to impose sanctions on Russian companies that were helping to destabilise Ukraine in the light of the latest developments in the country.

The sanctions were imposed "with a view to targeting entities, including from the Russian Federation, that were materially or financially supporting actions undermining or threatening Ukraine's sovereignty", said an official statement.

A few hours before the EU's announcement, the US also announced the most wide-ranging sanctions yet on Russia, targeting key institutions, including Gazprombank and Rosneft, as well as other energy and defence companies.