"歐盟對俄制裁擴大"

烏克蘭危機逐漸擴大，已影響歐洲各國政局的穩定。由於俄國不斷透過各種管道，鼓吹烏克蘭境內的俄裔民眾分裂獨立，而歐盟為防止烏克蘭政權瓦解，亦不斷對俄國施加壓力。時至今日，歐盟與俄國的關係已漸行漸遠。

俄國外交部表示，一向重視人權的歐盟，應該尊重烏克蘭境內頓內茨和盧甘斯克地區俄裔人民想要獨立的公投結果。如果歐盟不了解或刻意迴避烏克蘭境內衝突的本質，就無法化解衝突。

歐盟日前再度制裁了克里米亞半島上的企業和部份支持俄語區分離主義的人士。而美國則派員出訪東歐，推動美歐自由貿易的「跨大西洋貿易與投資夥伴協定」。期望在此時能更加強化美國與東歐各國的關係，避免俄國從中阻撓而破壞白宮當局亟於想建立的「新歐洲防線」。

(International) EU Imposes More Sanctions Against Russia

The unceasing escalation of the crisis in Ukraine has put the stability of European governments in jeopardy. Due to Russias repeated efforts to encourage separatism among those of Russian descent living in Ukraine through various means, the European Union (EU) has had to keep expanding sanctions against Russia to prevent the Ukrainian regime from disintegrating. This has caused the EU and Russia to drift further and further apart.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the EU, which has always valued human rights, should respect the desire of those Russians living in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk to hold a referendum on independence. If the EU continues to refuse to understand or deliberately overlook the nature of the conflict in Ukraine, then there is no way the conflict can be diffused.

The EU recently stepped up sanctions against companies and some of the pro-Russian separatists in Crimea. Meanwhile, the US sent officials to Eastern Europe to push for the US-EU free trade agreement, also known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). It is hoped that the strengthening of the relationships between the US and countries in Eastern Europe at this time can stop Russia from meddling and sabotaging the new line of defense in the European Union that the White House has been eager to establish.

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