Ukraine begins preparations for 22nd sanctions package against Russia, Vlasiuk says
Ukraine is already working on a new, 22nd package of sanctions against Russia.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, said this during the national telethon, Censor.NET reports.
New package and initial preparations
According to Vlasiuk, the 21st sanctions package has already received final approval and will be published shortly. Meanwhile, work on the next package has been under way for about a month.
"I have just received a message from the European Commission. The 21st sanctions package has been approved. Everything is final: the vote has taken place, and the process is now formally and legally complete. And yes, we have begun work on the 22nd package. In fact, we started working on it a month ago," he noted.
Vlasiuk added that the new package would include not only proposals but also materials and evidence that would form the basis for sanctions decisions.
Possible restrictions in the package
According to him, an interim sanctions package targeting individuals involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children may be introduced in September. The European Union is also expected to respond to elections to the Russian State Duma being held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Vlasiuk stressed that participants in these elections could face sanctions from both Ukraine and the EU. After that, he said, work on forming the full 22nd package is expected to begin in late October.
He also said that the new package would include a major financial component and measures targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex. Energy-related measures are also being considered, although they depend not only on the European Union but also on the United States and Iran.
In addition, an entry ban is envisaged for those directly involved in hostilities. Ukraine is pushing for restrictions on all combatants, but it is currently difficult to establish a mechanism for verifying their participation.
According to Vlasiuk, Ukraine has already submitted lists of hundreds of military personnel involved in attacks on Ukrainian territory. They could be the first to face the new sanctions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier welcomed the European Union’s adoption of its 21st package of sanctions against Russia.
Background
Earlier today, the Council of the European Union gave final approval to the 21st package of sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine.
- It was previously reported that EU ambassadors had reached an agreement on the sanctions package against Russia, which had earlier been blocked by Greece.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas outlined the details of the European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, stressing that the measures would hit Putin "where it hurts most."
