U.S., G7 ready to impose more sanctions on Russia over Ukraine: Treasury

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew leaves after a meeting of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) at the Treasury Department in Washington May 19, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told Ukrainian leaders on Tuesday that the United States and its G7 allies stood ready to impose more sanctions on Moscow if needed, a Treasury official said. "The United States and our G7 allies stand ready to impose significant additional sanctions on Russia if needed to respond to its aggressive acts in eastern Ukraine," the official quoted Lew as saying. Lew met Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk and Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko on Tuesday in Washington and welcomed efforts by Kiev to reach a debt restructuring agreement. "He (Lew) noted that the IMF program required shared sacrifices from all stakeholders to secure the economic recovery that is in the interest of all parties," the official said. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Sandra Maler and Eric Beech)