Ukraine: Zelensky Calls For Tougher Sanctions On Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky said there was still a need to convince some in Europe who believe “war and war crimes are not as horrific as financial losses”…
The US said the measures will target financial and state-owned bodies, some officials and oligarchs

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said he “cannot tolerate any indecisiveness” ahead of the West imposing further sanctions on Russia.

The US said on Tuesday the measures will target financial and state-owned bodies, some officials and oligarchs.

Media reports suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters will be among those on the list.

The European Union is also expected to cut off Russian coal imports as concern over alleged war crimes increases.

But Zelensky, speaking to the Irish parliament on Wednesday, said there was still a need to convince some in Europe who believe “war and war crimes are not as horrific as financial losses” to back tougher sanctions.

He added that “Russian oil cannot feed the Russian military machine”, with Ukraine’s foreign minister arguing on Twitter that an embargo on gas and oil was needed to truly impact Russia’s ability to finance the war.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, separately acknowledged on Wednesday that the one billion euros ($1.09bn; £833m) Europe spent on Russian energy every day put into sharp perspective the billion euros given to Ukraine in military assistance since the start of the invasion.

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Some European member states, including Germany, are heavily reliant on Russian energy and had been reluctant to directly target the sector.

However, in a first, the European Commission proposed a potential ban on imports of Russian coal on Tuesday, which must be agreed by all 27 members. Europe buys around €4bn ($4.4bn; £3.3bn) worth of coal from Moscow every year.

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Yinka Akanbi

Yinka is an aesthete and a cosmopolite.