United States Prepares New Sanctions Against Russia Over Annexation Plans

Counting of referendum votes on the territory of Ukraine. (Source: TASS/Donut Sorokin)

JAKARTA - The United States will in the coming days impose economic sanctions on Moscow over a 'sham' referendum held by Russia in occupied Ukraine, the State Department said on Wednesday.

"We will continue to work with allies and partners to put more pressure on Russia and the individuals and entities that help support its land grabbing efforts," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"You can expect additional action from us in the coming days."

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the measures would include penalties on individuals and entities, both inside and outside Russia that support annexation.

Moscow was poised on Wednesday to annex swaths of Ukraine, releasing what it called a vote count showing support in the four partially occupied provinces to join Russia, after what Kyiv and the West denounced as an illegal sham referendum was held at gunpoint.

Russia-backed authorities claim to have held a five-day referendum in the territory that makes up about 15 percent of Ukraine.

Jean-Pierre said the United States would not recognize Russia's annexed territory in all of Ukraine.

"Based on our information, every aspect of this referendum process was pre-planned and orchestrated by the Kremlin," he said.

President Vladimir Putin could announce the annexation in a speech within days, more than a week since he backed the referendum, ordered military mobilization at home and threatened to defend Russia with nuclear weapons if necessary.

Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the US State Department sanctions coordination, James O'Brien, told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington would look to the financial and high-tech sectors, particularly for energy exploitation, and human rights violators in sanctions action. in the future.

"There will be more packages. We are working on more sanctions," O'Brien told the committee.

"Everything is on the table," he said.

The United States has imposed several stages of sanctions targeting Moscow after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Previous US sanctions have included a reduction in Moscow's imports of cutting-edge technology such as semiconductors, sensors and navigation that are expected to undermine Russia's long-term ability to produce fossil fuels such as oil.