欧盟对前乌克兰高官实施制裁

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.