Photo by Ivan Bandura

On Thursday, President Obama issued an executive order banning visas for specific Ukrainian individuals.

According to the executive order the ban applies to individuals, "that undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets, constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat."

This Ukrainian visa ban extends beyond the one the U.S. State Department issued for over 20 Ukrainian officials after a series of violent confrontations with protesters.

The visa ban was just one action designed to put pressure on Russia to end their current conflict with Ukraine. The order also paves the way for additional economic sanctions to be applied to individuals identified as threatening to the territorial integrity and democratic process of Ukraine.