国际英语新闻:U.S. imposes new sanctions against Russia

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States has imposed new sanctions against individuals and entities supporting Russia's role in Ukraine issue, according to a statement issued by the Department of the Treasury on Thursday.

The Treasury Department said in the statement that the designations of sanctions are three individuals and nine entities, which engaged in "serious human rights abuses" or advanced "Russian interest in the Crimea region."

All of these individuals' and entities' property and interests in property of the designated persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, the statement said.

The U.S. State Department also said on Tuesday that it might impose another round of sanctions on Russia over the latter's involvement in the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain in March.

"We consider these restrictions imposed by the United States on Russia to be illegal, and we will also treat accordingly similar steps if they follow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

Amid the ongoing U.S. sanctions on Russia and Washington's recent stance on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the relations between Washington and Moscow have been strained.