Another briefing on priority issues of sanctions policy towards Russia was held in the Office of the President of Ukraine with the participation of First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko and advisors to the Head of the Office of the President Vladyslav Vlasiuk and Daria Zarivna for the heads of diplomatic missions of the countries of the European Union and the EU Mission to Ukraine.
During the event, the main focus was on the need to further increase the sanctions pressure on the aggressor country, in particular in the context of the preparation of the 11th EU sanctions package, as well as on the importance of implementing previously introduced restrictions. In addition, the organizers of the event informed the participants about the results of the work of the Yermak-McFaul International Sanctions Group and the Ukrainian Interagency Working Group on Implementation of State Sanctions Policy.
"Ukraine already has practical experience regarding the mechanism of using confiscated Russian assets to restore our economy. We call on the EU states to speed up the finalization of the legal framework and practical tools for the use of confiscated Russian assets abroad, which are necessary for the needs of the reconstruction of Ukraine," said Yulia Svyrydenko.
The First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of Ukraine added that the sanctions regime must be strengthened for as long as the war continues.
In his presentation, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Vladyslav Vlasiuk emphasized the following sanctions priorities: expansion of sanctions pressure on Russian banks and Rosatom, strengthening of sanctions against propagandists and representatives of Russian show business, further restrictions on the Russian military-industrial complex and high-tech industries that have direct relation to the production of weapons. Vladyslav Vlasiuk cited examples of circumvention of sanctions and called for the immediate elimination of existing gaps.
"Next week, the Yermak-McFaul International Sanctions Group will present Action Plan 2.0 on strengthening sanctions against Russia. The first document became the basis for the introduction of many sanctions restrictions, so we hope that Plan 2.0 will be a real road map for the introduction of further sanctions," he said.
Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Daria Zarivna separately focused on the priority of imposing sanctions on propagandists.
"This war is also an information war. Propagandists are one of the keys to the existence of the Putin’s regime. It is they who influence millions of Russians every day through the mass media, stimulating hatred of Ukraine and the desire to continue the war. Pro-Kremlin journalists, artists, radical public associations are important targets for sanctions pressure. Imposing restrictions on their foreign assets and opportunities to travel around the world will certainly increase the effect in the fight against the aggressor. Russian officials who are directly involved in the process of illegal deportation of Ukrainian children deserve special attention in the context of the introduction of personal sanctions. It is in this priority direction that the special group on the protection and safety of children, which is already developing a corresponding action plan, will intensify its work in the near future," Daria Zarivna said.
Following the briefing, the Ukrainian side thanked the participants of the event for the support that Ukraine feels from the governments and citizens of the EU countries, and also called on the European partners to maintain further solidarity and determination in joint opposition to the Russian aggressor in order to speed up the victory.
At the end of the event, with the assistance of the Central Research Institute of Armaments and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a demonstration of a special exposition took place, where representatives of the diplomatic missions of the countries of the European Union were able to familiarize themselves with the remains of destroyed Russian military equipment, which contain elements of Western-made electronics and household appliances.
