U.S. blacklists more Ukrainian rebels, expands non-lethal aid

A woman sits inside an office of the Russian National Commercial Bank in the Crimean city of Simferopol April 8, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States announced $75 million (50.22 million pounds) in non-lethal aid for Ukraine on Wednesday and placed sanctions on a handful of Ukrainian separatists, a Russian bank and others after accusing Russian-backed rebels of breaking a European-brokered ceasefire.

The aid does not include the anti-tank, anti-air and other weapons requested by Ukraine and by lawmakers in both parties of the U.S. Congress who want a tougher response from President Barack Obama to claims by U.S. intelligence agencies of Russian tanks and artillery crossing into Ukraine.