A top U.S. official said Monday that Moscow continues to support the pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine, despite U.S. sanctions aimed at punishing it for its alleged interference in its neighbor. "There is evidence that Russia continues to allow the free flow of weapons, funds, and fighters across its borders, and President [Vladimir] Putin's next steps are still not clear," Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in Washington. The United States has worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Group of Seven (G-7) partners to coordinate a response to the crisis and provide Ukraine with financial and technical assistance, the Treasury chief said. "Our goal was to impose a cost on Russia for its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea and to deter Russian military intervention in Ukraine," Lew said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. According to Lew, the Treasury's coordinated and precise sanctions put "enormous pressure" on Russia, with limited collateral damage to the U.S., European, and global economies. President Barack Obama, Lew said, "has given us the authority to take even more powerful action if Russia continues to support armed separatists in eastern Ukraine."
