U.S., EU to impose new sanctions on Russia for Ukraine actions

Russia is expected to face new American and European sanctions Monday for its actions in Ukraine, including measures against both Russian officials and cronies of President Vladimir Putin, senior U.S. officials and Western diplomats told CNN. The European Union is expected to impose sanctions Monday on about 15 Russian officials who are believed to be undermining democracy and creating chaos in Ukraine, according to the Western diplomats. The sanctions will include asset freezes and travel bans. The EU is not expected to impose sanctions on Putin cronies in part because the European judiciary system has a much higher bar in terms of applying the law, the diplomats said. Judges are not able to look at intelligence to sign off on the sanctions, they said. One Western diplomat said there was also some division within the EU as to whether sanctions against Putin's cronies should be imposed. Several European countries are also concerned their economic interests would be greatly affected with such sanctions. Additionally, some countries feel more space should be given to diplomacy before such measures are considered, the diplomat said. As CNN has previously reported, the new measures are being coordinated with the United States, which is expected to announce sanctions Monday on Putin cronies as well as on the entities and banks they are associated with, according to senior U.S. officials. Neither the United States nor EU is ready to impose sanctions on Russian industries, like the energy sector, both U.S. officials and Western diplomats said. However, they said the United States and EU are jointly preparing for sector sanctions that could be imposed in the near future if Russia does not take steps to ease the tensions in Ukraine. Diplomats said the sectors that could be affected include energy, finance and timber.