Ukraine Demands Significant Strengthening of Sanctions against Russia

The 10th EU sanctions package should be adopted as soon as possible and increase the pressure on the aggressor state, in particular, to impose powerful sanctions against the Russian missile and drone industry, to close all ways of circumventing the already existing restrictions, to impose new personal restrictions and sanctions against the energy industry, the banking sector, media and telecommunications, metallurgy and other areas.

“I urge you to impose devastating sanctions against the Russian missile and drone industry. By destroying or seriously limiting Russia’s ability to produce new missiles and drones, we will ‘kill’ their ability to create new means of terror. We will also achieve the long-term strategic goal of deterring Russian missile terror,” Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said, addressing EU’s Foreign Affairs Council via video link.

The minister called for increased sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation to stop its war crimes. He stressed that any exemptions or relaxation of sanctions are inadmissible.

“It is very important to close all loopholes for circumventing sanctions. The data indicate active attempts by Russia to circumvent the restrictions. All this should be met with strong resistance,” he said.

The foreign minister reminded the Council of Ukraine’s call to lower the oil price caps as the actual price of Urals is already below 40 US dollars per barrel. He also called for the disconnection of more Russian banks from SWIFT, primarily Gazprombank and Bank St. Petersburg which are involved in financing the war. Kuleba also insists on closing the Russian Federation’s access to cloud services and cryptocurrency transactions and imposing restrictions on Russian metallurgy.

Ukraine’s top diplomat also pointed out the need to end nuclear energy cooperation with Russia and impose sanctions against Rosatom. Kuleba believes that the first step could be the imposition of personal restrictions against Rosatom employees and officials involved in the seizure and militarisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Natalia Tolub