Obama signs Executive Order concerning Ukraine, imposes asset freeze and restricts U.S. travel

WASHINGTON, March 6 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order on Thursday "blocking property of certain persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine."

The Executive Order concerns individuals who have sought to undermine the Ukrainian government, including "persons who have asserted governmental authority in the Crimean region without the authorization of the Government of Ukraine." Those individuals, Obama declared, "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States ..."

Obama, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, and State Department Secretary John Kerry agreed that the following qualifies an individual to be restricted in U.S. property and entry into the U.S.:

1. Those who are responsible, complicit in, or engaged in whether directly or indirectly in:

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(A) actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Ukraine;

(B) actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine; or

(C) misappropriation of state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine

2. Those who have asserted governmental authority over any part of Ukraine without the authorization of the Ukrainian government;

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3. Those who led an entity engaged in such activity described above.

4. Those who materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, technological support, goods, or services that supported such activity described above.

5. Those who have owned, controlled, acted on or purported to act on behalf -- whether directly or indirectly -- any person whose property and interests in property are blocked by the Executive Order.

Invoking his presidential authorities, Obama has ordered that "All property and interests in property that are in the United States, or that ... come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch)" associated with the above-described individuals "... are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in ..."

In addition to freezing U.S. property, Obama ordered that anyone who meets the listed criteria may not enter the U.S.

For those affected by the order, Obama further outlined that no donations may be made to "any person whose property and interests are blocked."

[White House]