Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to the Crimea Region of Ukraine

Executive Order 13685 of December 19, 2014

Blocking Property of Certain Persons and
Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to the
Crimea Region of Ukraine

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, including the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.),
section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3,
United States Code,

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, in order to take additional steps to address
the Russian occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine,
and with respect to the national emergency declared in
Executive Order 13660 of March 6, 2014, and expanded by
Executive Order 13661 of March 16, 2014, and Executive
Order 13662 of March 20, 2014, hereby order:

Section 1. (a) The following are prohibited:

(i) new investment in the Crimea region of Ukraine by a United States
person, wherever located;

(ii) the importation into the United States, directly or indirectly, of any
goods, services, or technology from the Crimea region of Ukraine;

(iii) the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or
indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever
located, of any goods, services, or technology to the Crimea region of
Ukraine; and

(iv) any approval, financing, facilitation, or guarantee by a United States
person, wherever located, of a transaction by a foreign person where the
transaction by that foreign person would be prohibited by this section if
performed by a United States person or within the United States.

    (b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this
section apply except to the extent provided by
statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or
licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and
notwithstanding any contract entered into or any
license or permit granted prior to the effective date
of this order.

Sec. 2. (a) All property and interests in property that
are in the United States, that hereafter come within
the United States, or that are or hereafter come within
the possession or control of any United States person
(including any foreign branch) of the following persons
are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported,
withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined
by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with
the Secretary of State:

(i) to operate in the Crimea region of Ukraine;

(ii) to be a leader of an entity operating in the Crimea region of Ukraine;

(iii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act
for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and
interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(iv) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial,
material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in
support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked
pursuant to this order.

    (b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this
section apply except to the extent provided by
statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or
licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and
notwithstanding any contract entered into or any
license or permit granted prior to the effective date
of this order.

Sec. 3. I hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant
and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens
determined to meet one or more of the criteria in
subsection 2(a) of this order would be detrimental to
the interests of the United States, and I hereby
suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants or
nonimmigrants, of such persons. Such persons shall be
treated as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation
8693 of July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens
Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans
and International Emergency Economic Powers Act
Sanctions).

Sec. 4. I hereby determine that the making of donations
of the type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2)
of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the
benefit of any person whose property and interests in
property are blocked pursuant to section 2 of this
order would seriously impair my ability to deal with
the national emergency declared in Executive Order
13660, and expanded in Executive Orders 13661 and
13662, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided
by section 2 of this order.

Sec. 5. The prohibitions in section 2 of this order
include but are not limited to:

    (a) the making of any contribution or provision of
funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of
any person whose property and interests in property are
blocked pursuant to this order; and
    (b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of
funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Sec. 6. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has
the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation
of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set
forth in this order is prohibited.

    (b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the
prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 7. Nothing in this order shall prohibit
transactions for the conduct of the official business
of the United States Government by employees, grantees,
or contractors thereof.

Sec. 8. For the purposes of this order:

    (a) the term “person” means an individual or
entity;
    (b) the term “entity” means a partnership,
association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group,
subgroup, or other organization;
    (c) the term “United States person” means any
United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity
organized under the laws of the United States or any
jurisdiction within the United States (including
foreign branches), or any person in the United States;
and
    (d) the term “Crimea region of Ukraine” includes
the land territory in that region as well as any
maritime area over which sovereignty, sovereign rights,
or jurisdiction is claimed based on purported
sovereignty over that land territory.

Sec. 9. For those persons whose property and interests
in property are blocked pursuant to this order who
might have a constitutional presence in the United
States, I find that because of the ability to transfer
funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to
such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this
order would render those measures ineffectual. I
therefore determine that for these measures to be
effective in addressing the national emergency declared
in Executive Order 13660 and expanded in Executive
Orders 13661 and 13662, there need be no prior notice
of a listing or determination made pursuant to section
2 of this order.

Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to
take such actions, including the promulgation of rules
and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to
the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry
out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the
Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other
officers and agencies of the United States Government
consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the
United States Government are hereby directed to take
all appropriate measures within their authority to
carry out the provisions of this order.

Sec. 11. This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.

Sec. 12. This order is effective at 3:30 p.m. eastern
standard time on December 19, 2014.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 19, 2014.