歐盟對前烏克蘭高官實施制裁

The European Union has frozen the assets of 18 high-ranking officials of the former Ukrainian government, including ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.

The 28-nation bloc announced the names of those targeted by the sanctions early Thursday, after reaching a decision the night before to impose the punishments on those responsible for embezzlement of state funds.

Mr. Yanukovych's son, his former justice minister and several other government ministers are also among those whose assets have been frozen. Mr. Yanukovych fled Ukraine last month after protests over his decision to accept an economic aid package from Russia turned deadly.

Meanwhile, another round of international diplomacy aimed at easing the military crisis in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula will take place Thursday. Leaders of the EU nations will meet in Brussels to consider possible sanctions against Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to meet again with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Rome Thursday. Kerry held a series of discussions with Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Ukranian interim Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia.

Lavrov and Deshchytsia did not meet face-to-face during Wednesday's flurry of negotiations, and Kerry said he had not expected such a meeting to occur.歐盟凍結了前烏克蘭政府18名高級官員的資產，包括被免職的亞努科維奇總統。

共有28個成員國的歐盟星期四清晨宣佈了遭到制裁的前烏克蘭官員名單。歐盟於星期三晚間做出決定，懲罰侵吞國家資產的前烏克蘭官員。

亞努科維奇的兒子、他的前司法部長以及其他幾名政府部長也被列入被凍結資產人員名單。亞努科維奇上月逃離烏克蘭，此前烏克蘭爆發示威活動，抗議亞努科維奇決定接受俄羅斯經濟援助，而抗議活動演變爲致命的暴力事件。

與此同時，旨在緩解烏克蘭克里米亞半島危機的新一輪外交活動將於星期四展開。歐盟成員國領導人將在布魯塞爾舉行會談，考慮可能對俄羅斯實施的制裁措施。

美國國務卿克里將於星期四在羅馬會見俄羅斯外長拉夫羅夫。此前克里已同拉夫羅夫、英國外交大臣黑格以及烏克蘭臨時外長德斯齊賽亞進行了一系列討論。

在星期三的一系列談判中，拉夫羅夫與德斯齊賽亞沒有進行面對面對話。克里表示，他並未期待雙方直接會談。