More from our News Desk on those EU sanctions against Crimea:
The European Union on December 18 adopted an investment ban that targets firms and individuals in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russian annexation from Ukraine in March.
The new sanctions drew swift condemnation from Russia, which called them "absolutely unacceptable."
The ban came after EU foreign ministers decided last month that EU’s non-recognition policy toward Russia’s annexation of Crimea needed to be bolstered with tougher sanctions.
The ban prohibits EU citizens and EU-registered companies from buying real estate in Crimea, from setting up joint ventures with Crimean companies, and from buying Crimean firms, their shares, or other securities.
It also bans the sale, export, or transport of goods using EU-registered vessels and aircraft to Crimean firms in the sectors of transport, telecommunications, and energy – including the exploration and production of oil, natural gas, and mineral resources.
In the tourism sector, EU cruise ships are banned from calling at any port on the Crimean Peninsula.
The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the sanctions as "nothing but an attempt to punish the residents of the peninsula."
European Council President Donald Tusk said ahead of a summit in Brussels today:
"We should send a strong signal on our readiness to further support Ukraine, also financially, as we have done politically today by making the existing sanctions on Crimea and Sebastopol more effective."
Just in from RFE/RL's News Desk:
The White House says U.S. President Barack Obama is not currently eyeing new sanctions against Russia under legislation authorizing fresh punitive measures.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on December 18: “At this time, the administration does not intend to impose sanctions under this law, but the act gives the administration the additional authorities that could be utilized if circumstances warranted.”
Obama will sign the bill, which U.S. Congress last week passed, Earnest said.
It authorizes new sanctions against the Russian defense and energy industries and also allows the White House to provide $350 million in defense hardware to Ukraine, including antitank and antiarmor weapons, ammunition, and surveillance drones.
The United States and the EU imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russian officials, companies and businessmen after the Kremlin annexed Crimea in March.
From RFE/RL's News Desk:
President Petro Poroshenko on December 18 submitted to parliament a motion to revoke Ukraine's nonaligned status in a move which could enable Kyiv to one day join NATO.
A law passed in 2010, under then-President Viktor Yanukovych, affirmed Ukraine's nonaligned status -- a classification given to neutral states that refuse to join any military alliance and play no active part in wars.
The 2010 measure was passed under strong pressure from Russia, which strongly opposes Ukraine's potential NATO membership.
Poroshenko made joining NATO one of his top foreign policy priorities after coming to power in the wake of the February ouster of Moscow-backed Yanukovych.
He first announced his intention to file the motion during a visit to Warsaw on December 17, when he said, "Ukraine today is in a virtual state of war. Russia annexed Crimea. Illegal armed groups, under the control of our eastern neighbor, are increasing their armed activity in the Donbas."
Barring any huge developments, that concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Thursday, December 18. Check back in this space tomorrow for more continuing live coverage.