UK sanctions 386 Russian lawmakers who supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine
March 11, 2022, 4:56 pm

UK sanctions 386 Russian lawmakers who supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine

British Foreign minister Liz Truss: In Moscow to meet Foreign Minister Lavrov and make clear that Russia must immediately withdraw its forces and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty or face severe consequences-Official Facebook page

March 11 (Levantnews): During the latest round of UK sanctions on Russia, the government imposes travel and assets ban on 386 members of the Duma for their support for the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Earlier UK sanctions hit Russian owner of Chelsea soccer club, and also tightened ban on Russian aircraft.

The new sanctions will ban those listed from travelling to the UK, accessing assets held within the UK and doing business here, according to the UK government website.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss clarified, the sanctions target "those complicit in Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and those who support this barbaric war."

She assured that UK will continue to "tighten the screw on the Russian economy through sanctions."

Ukrainian 93rd brigade (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

Truss said that together with UK's allies, the west will continue its support to Ukraine, providing it with weapons and humanitarian aid.

This comes as Russia is escalating its assualt to take whole of Ukraine. Acording to the Euromaidan Press, Russian forces, previously standing idle outside Kyiv, are now starting to move, and several airstrikes have taken place in western Ukraine.

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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that about 16,000 “volunteers” are now ready to take part in the Russian war against Ukraine.

On the Ukrainian side, the army killed Russia's Major General Andrei Kolesnikov, commander of 29th Army of Eastern Military District, the adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko said.

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"The good news is that Major General Andrei Kolesnikov, Commander of the 29th Army of the Eastern Military District, became the KIA today," Gerashchenko wrote on Telegram on Friday.

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.