Merkel, Obama Warn Russia of Direct economic sanctions if Ukrainian elections are interfered with

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Germany and the United States on Friday delivered a stern warning to Russia, saying that it would face direct, painful economic sanctions if election to be held later this month in Ukraine are disrupted.

After their talks in the White House, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Barack Obama delivered the statement, with the prospect of “sectoral” economic sanctions now closer than ever before. The joint statement sets a new standard for the imposition of “sectoral” sanctions on Russia, with the US administration previously saying that such measures would only be taken if Russia invades Ukraine.

“If in fact, we see the disruptions and the destabilization continuing so severely that it impedes elections on May 25, we will not have a choice but to move forward with additional… severe sanctions. If Russia continues on its current course, we have a range of tools at our disposal, including sanctions that would target certain sectors of the Russian economy”, Obama said.

The measures, already being worked on by experts from Europe and the United States, would probably target Russia’s economic activity, including vital sectors like mining, energy and finance. Merkel, who is facing severe pressure from several German business groups wary of the fact that any sanctions could hurt their ties with the Russian industry, warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that May 25th was “a very crucial date”.

“The 25th of May is not all that far away. Should that not be possible to stabilize the situation further, sanctions will be unavoidable. It’s very much up to the Russians which road we will embark on, but we are firmly resolved to continue to travel down that road”, she said.

Even though both the US and the EU agree that sectoral sanctions might be necessary, the definition and exact target of the sanctions could be broad and will be important. The EU’s measures will be closely watched by the US to see of effectiveness is given priority over any influential business interests.