Obama Sanctions 11 Pro-Russian Officials Over Crimea as Militaries Posture

President Barack Obama authorized what a senior administration official called “by far the most comprehensive sanctions applied to Russia since the end of the Cold War,” on Monday, following Sunday’s referendum in Crimea to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.

White House officials released the names of 11 Russian and Ukrainian individuals selected for sanctions in response to Russian insistence at moving forward with the referendum, in which more than 90 percent of voters chose Russian annexation over unification with Ukraine’s new pro-Western government. The penalties included visa bans and freezing the assets of individuals the administration says are responsible for the seizure of Crimea and violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Those named include Crimea's newly-declared Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov and Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country on Feb. 22.

Administration officials, including Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, have repeatedly referred to the Crimean referendum as “illegitimate,” a direct violation of the Ukrainian constitution and international law. The European Union drafted its own list of 21 individuals slated for sanctions, but said it will not release the names until Tuesday.

As many expected, Russia on Saturday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution declaring the Crimean referendum illegal. Before the vote in New York, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on Saturday argued Yanukovych was ousted in “an illegal coup carried out by radicals.” The final vote was 13-1, with China refusing to cast a vote, fearing it would risk "confrontation and further complicate the situation," according to China’s U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi.

Beyond diplomacy, the power struggle over Ukraine has manifest into American and Russian military movements that are setting up the makings of a standoff of firepower along Eastern Europe. Russia’s Air Force chief announced on Monday intentions to add 20 Su-27 fighter jets to Belarus’ Brest region, bordering Ukraine and Poland, by the end of the year as part of a joint air defense system. Last week, the U.S. moved a dozen F-16 fighters into Poland as part of a previously planned exercise.

Meanwhile, U.S. Army forces in Europe are moving forward with a multi-national military exercise in Ukraine called Rapid Trident, set to take place in the western city of Lviv, in July. Rapid Trident involve troops from Ukraine, Poland, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Moldova, Romania and the United Kingdom, according to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Westover, a spokesman for U.S. European Command. “Exercise planning will continue until we are told otherwise,” he said. The U.S. has halted talks with Russian officials who were planning a second July military exercise called Atlas Vision.