London, Thanasis Gavos
Sanctions against five Russian banks and three Russian oligarchs were announced from the floor of the House of Commons by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson.
Their assets in Britain will be frozen, people under sanctions will be barred from entering the country and British citizens and British companies will be barred from doing business with them.
These sanctions, Mr. Johnson said, are the first installment, as further penetration of Russian forces into Ukrainian territory beyond the Donbass provinces will lead to further sanctions.
The five banks are: Rossiayaz Bank, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank, Black Sea Bank. The three people against whom the sanctions are directed are Gennady Timchenko, Igor Rothenberg and Boris Rothenberg. These are billionaire businessmen with current strengths in the energy sector and ongoing relations with Vladimir Putin.
Opposition Labor leader Sir Kir Starmer has called for the full implementation of a package of sanctions prepared by the British government and Britain’s allies, saying Russia had violated a key threshold.
In his speech, Mr. Johnson said that everyone should be prepared for the next phase of Russian aggression, which is likely to include a full-scale invasion. For now, he said, Russia has committed a “renewed invasion” of eastern Ukraine and President Putin is creating a pretext for a full-scale invasion.
“We will continue to seek a diplomatic solution until the last possible moment, but we must be prepared for the fact that our words will not work and that President Putin will be fully committed to a full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
He added that Europe must be prepared for a “prolonged crisis”, although it is difficult for him to realize how in 2022 a national leader can calmly and intentionally plan the destruction of a peaceful neighbor, “despite the evidence “His words show that this is exactly what President Putin is doing.”
Mr Johnson added that Putin’s actions in Ukraine “must fail and must be seen to fail”.
The UK Prime Minister also welcomed Berlin’s decision to freeze NordStream 2 certification.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Liz Tras re-invited British nationals who have remained in Ukraine. to leave the country, amid fears of an expanded invasion by Russian forces.
Via Twitter, Ms. Tras reiterated the Foreign Office’s call, noting that the security and protection of the British in Ukraine is a top priority.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is holding an emergency meeting of its permanent representatives today, following a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
“This is a clear violation of international law,” Poland, which currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE, based in Vienna, Austria, said in a statement.
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