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.

共有28个成员国的欧盟星期四清晨宣布了遭到制裁的前乌克兰官员名单。欧盟于星期三晚间做出决定，惩罚侵吞国家资产的前乌克兰官员。

亚努科维奇的儿子、他的前司法部长以及其他几名政府部长也被列入被冻结资产人员名单。亚努科维奇上月逃离乌克兰，此前乌克兰爆发示威活动，抗议亚努科维奇决定接受俄罗斯经济援助，而抗议活动演变为致命的暴力事件。

与此同时，旨在缓解乌克兰克里米亚半岛危机的新一轮外交活动将于星期四展开。欧盟成员国领导人将在布鲁塞尔举行会谈，考虑可能对俄罗斯实施的制裁措施。

美国国务卿克里将于星期四在罗马会见俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫。此前克里已同拉夫罗夫、英国外交大臣黑格以及乌克兰临时外长德斯齐赛亚进行了一系列讨论。

在星期三的一系列谈判中，拉夫罗夫与德斯齐赛亚没有进行面对面对话。克里表示，他并未期待双方直接会谈。