US levels Crimea sanctions as Ukraine battles separatism

DONETSK: The United States slapped sanctions Friday on seven architects of Crimea's split from Ukraine as the ex-Soviet country struggled to stamp out another insurgency by pro-Russian separatists.

The new Treasury sanctions escalated the tit-for-tat row between Russia and the West over Ukraine after Moscow threatened to cut off gas supplies to its neighbour unless it settled its unpaid bills -- a move that could wreak economic havoc on European countries that source gas from Ukraine.