Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, press secretary Dmitry Peskov, and nearly all members of the Russian government. A total of 35 people were sanctioned.
The decree of the President of Ukraine says “to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of June 9, 2022 “On the application of personal, special, economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)”.
The document enters into force on 9 June.
The sanctions are applied indefinitely and the measures against those mentioned on the “black list” include 18 restrictions. We are talking about the blocking of assets, if any, on the territory of Ukraine, the prohibition of export-import transactions, as well as the prevention of capital withdrawal from Ukraine. Sanctioned persons will also be banned from entering Ukraine and flying over the country.
They will be deprived of Ukrainian state awards (if any) and will be prohibited from acquiring land.
In addition to Putin and Peskov, restrictions were also imposed on Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Also, 10 deputy prime ministers were included in the sanctions list: Andrei Belousov, Yuri Borisov, Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Victoria Abramchenko, Yuri Trutnev, Marat Khusnullin, Alexei Overchuk, Dmitry Grigorenko and Dmitry Chernyshenko.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko were also on the list. Restrictions were imposed on Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, as well as Minister of Labor Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov and Minister of Energy Nikolai Shulginov.
Restrictions were imposed on the Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov, the Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, the Minister of Sports Oleg Matytsin, the Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, the Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev, the Minister of Construction Irek Fayzullin, the Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov, the Minister of Transport. Vitaly Saveliev, Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, Head of the Ministry of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev and Minister of Far East and Arctic Development Alexei Chekunkov.
At the same time, the Minister of Emergencies Alexander Kurenkov was not included in the “black list”, but restrictions were imposed on Alexander Chupriyan, who until May 25 served as the head of the Ministry of Emergencies.
Sanctions on 236 universities and 261 rectors
In another decree, the president of Ukraine imposed sanctions on 236 Russian universities and 261 rectors.
Restrictions affected Moscow State University. MV Lomonosov, MGIMO, Moscow State Technical University. NE Bauman, National Research University Higher School of Economics, RANEPA, Moscow State Medical University. IM Sechenov and others.
Sanctions against higher education institutions are also indefinite and “End of cultural exchanges, scientific cooperation, educational and sports contacts, entertainment programs with foreign states and foreign legal entities”.
In addition, restrictions are imposed on the rectors of Russian universities. In total there are 261 surnames on the “black list”.. In particular, Viktor Sadovnichy, rector of Moscow State University, Anatoly Alexandrov of Moscow State Technical University, Anatoly Torkunov, rector of MGIMO, and Pyotr Glybochko, head of the first Moscow State Medical University.
Restrictions on heads of higher education institutions include the blocking of their assets on the territory of Ukraine, the suspension of the fulfillment of financial obligations, the deprivation of Ukraine of state awards, the ban on the transfer of technologies and rights to objects of intellectual property, the ban on purchase. land and some other restrictions, including a ban on entry.
The head of the Ministry of Education, Sergei Kravtsov, who is included in the list of sanctions, said that the restrictions on Russian authorities are an indicator of the inability of the Ukrainian authorities.
“This is a gesture of desperation that still has not prevented the integration of Donbass and liberated areas with Russia into a single training ground,” the minister said.
In turn, the head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, expressed the opinion that all sanctions imposed by Kyiv will be lifted “one day before the surrender” of the Ukrainian authorities.
What will happen to the negotiations?
Russia has not yet introduced restrictive measures against Vladimir Zelensky, and the President of Ukraine has repeatedly expressed his readiness for a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin to agree on the terms of an agreement on the settlement of relations between the two countries.
But on the eve of Zelensky said that victory in the conflict in Ukraine “must be achieved on the battlefield.” At the same time, the Ukrainian leader reiterated his readiness for peace talks with the President of the Russian Federation. He pointed out that the stalemate in relations with Moscow is not the best option for Kyiv.
Russian political scientist Andrei Suzdaltsev believes that Zelensky deprived himself of the opportunity to meet and negotiate with the Russian president by imposing sanctions on Putin.
“They declared to themselves the impossibility of any kind of dialogue,” Suzdaltsev told RIA Novosti. According to him, the sanction decision largely makes the President of Ukraine a hostage to the situation.
By contrast, Valdai Club expert Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the HSE Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies, does not believe that the sanctions exclude the possibility of a personal meeting between the two presidents. According to him, Putin and Zelensky can meet in neutral territory. The expert described the purpose of the restrictions as an indication of Ukraine’s unwillingness to make concessions.
“Zelensky’s imposition of sanctions on Putin shows that he is not yet ready to make concessions,” Suslov told TASS.
He added that the decision of the Ukrainian president is a signal to Western leaders, who are urging him to make concessions in peace talks.
Earlier, Zelensky said that the sanctions against the Russian Federation “do not really affect the position” of Moscow. In addition, the Ukrainian leader acknowledged the superiority of the Russian army in armament and, as a result, Ukraine was unable to advance. The President of Ukraine sees the reason for this situation as the insufficient supply of weapons from Western countries.