WASHINGTON, April 28 (RAPSI) – The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against seven Russian government officials and 17 Russian companies controlled by influential businessmen Gennady Timchenko and Rotenberg brothers, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

Sanctions were in response to Crimea’s reunification with Russia, which the US does not acknowledge, as well as Russia’s stance on Ukraine, according to Carney.

“At the contact group meeting in Geneva on April 17, 2014, Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union decided on a number of steps to deescalate the situation in eastern Ukraine, including refraining from further violence or provocative acts. Since April 17, Russia has done nothing to meet its Geneva commitments and in fact has further escalated the crisis. Russia’s involvement in the recent violence in eastern Ukraine is indisputable,” Carney said.

The Russian citizens who appear to be on the sanctions list will be subject to an asset freeze and a US visa ban, while Russian companies will be subject to an asset freeze.

“In addition, the Department of Commerce has imposed additional restrictions on 13 of those companies by imposing a license requirement with a presumption of denial for the export, re-export or other foreign transfer of US-origin items to the companies. Further, today the Departments of Commerce and State have announced a tightened policy to deny export license applications for any high-technology items that could contribute to Russia’s military capabilities,” Carney said.

Sanctions are imposed against Russian Presidential Envoy to Crimea Oleg Belaventsev, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, Director of the Federal Protective Service of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Murov, Chairman of State Duma Committee on International Affairs Alexei Pushkov, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, and First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Vyacheslav Volodin.

One of Russia’s biggest rail transporters of oil Transoil, oil and gas engineering company Stroytransgaz, Volga Group, SMP Bank, and Investcapitalbank are among the companies affected by the sanctions.