US sanctions Ukrainian officials accused of helping Russia

By AAMER MADHANI and ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department says it’s levying new sanctions against four Ukrainian officials, including two current members of parliament who administration officials say are part of a Russian influence effort to set the pretext for further invasion of Ukraine. According to Treasury, all four have been intimately involved in disinformation efforts by Russia’s federal security service. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says they were at the heart of a Kremlin effort begun in 2020 “to degrade the ability of the Ukrainian state to independently function.” The announcement comes days after the White House issued a warning that Russia has stationed operatives in and around Ukraine, possibly to create pretext for an invasion.