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Russia has continued to push further into Ukraine, and new economic sanctions on them have become more severe.
The United Kingdom announced on Friday new sanctions against 386 members of Russia’s lower house to further mount diplomatic pressure for their invasion into Ukraine. The UK is also blocking exports from Britain’s luxury industry to Moscow.
According to the announcement, the new sanctions are put in place to punish those who support recognizing the independence of Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk ahead of the attack.
Previously, on February 22, the British government had announced its intention of putting sanctions on the members of Duma and had affirmed the execution of the procedure on Friday.
In a statement, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said, “We’re targeting those complicit in Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and those who support this barbaric war.”
“We will not let up the pressure and will continue to tighten the screw on the Russian economy through sanctions,” she added.
According to the Foreign Office, Duma members included in the roster will be prohibited from traveling to the UK, gaining access to assets in Britain, or establishing a business there. Prior to Britain, the European Union has already imposed sanctions on a similar group of lawmakers.
Moscow’s raids on cities in Ukraine have been relentless, but the main force north of Kyiv is making little progress.
Russia refused to call their attack on Ukraine an invasion, but they referred to it as a “special military operation” explicitly designed to prevent Nazis in that country.
Following the declaration of the Group of Seven leaders to countermand Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status, which would enable G7 countries to raise tariffs and place quotas on Russian goods, the UK stated it was seeking to halt the export of luxury products.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office stated: “The UK will also work toward banning exports of luxury goods to Russia, cutting off access to high-end goods from some of the world’s biggest producers of luxury products.”
