MOSCOW — The U.S. sanctions imposed on 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials will not affect Crimea's drive to join Russia, a senior Crimean government official was quoted as saying on Monday.

U.S. President Barack Obama's sanctions order freezes any assets in the United States and bans travel to the United sates for those listed, including Crimea's Moscow-backed government chief Sergei Aksyonov and the speaker of the region's parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov.

"These sanctions will not affect the work of Sergei Aksyonov and Vladimir Konstantinov, nor will they interfere in the process of Crimea's accession into Russia," Interfax quoted Crimean First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev as saying.