US, EU agree to new Russia sanctions, White House says

The United States and European Union plan to impose new sanctions against Russia this week, including penalties targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, the White House said Monday.

The show of Western solidarity followed a joint video teleconference between President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy. The West has been moving for several days toward tougher sanctions after the downing of a passenger jet in eastern Ukraine, an attack the U.S. says was carried out by Russian-backed separatists in the region.