The European Union and United States adopted tighter restrictions on investments in Crimea, targeting individuals, Russian Black Sea oil and gas exploration and tourism.
President Barack Obama said he had signed into law a new Russian sanctions bill passed by Congress, but added that he did not intend to impose further curbs against Moscow for now. However, Canada announced on Friday 19th that it was hitting Russia with a fresh round of restrictions.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said the sanctions undermined political efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, adding that Crimea was a “primordial and inseparable” part of Russia.

EU investment ban, the latest in a series of measures since July, is also designed to show that despite a dive in the Russian rouble’s value, there will be no lifting of sanctions unless Moscow drops its support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.