European Union member states on Thursday imposed sanctions against former pro-Russian President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr for their alleged role in threatening Ukraine’s security, writes AFP.
The European Council said in a statement that the two men were added to the list of EU sanctions imposed “in response to Russia’s unjustified military aggression against Ukraine.”
Yanukovych led Ukraine from February 2010 until February 2014, when he was ousted by a popular uprising against his government’s retreat from the West and rapprochement with Moscow.
President Putin’s Russia responded to the defeat of its ally by seizing the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula and the enclave in eastern Donbas. In February, Moscow launched a full offensive against Ukraine.
Several EU and NATO member states are supplying Kiev with sophisticated weapons to help it defend itself, and Brussels has imposed a series of sanctions.
The EU believes that 72-year-old Yanukovych, who lives in Russia, continues to play “a role in undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”
In a statement published Thursday in the EU’s official journal, he is accused of conspiring to return to power in Ukraine if a Russian invasion succeeds in ousting President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
“According to various sources, Viktor Yanukovych was a participant in the Russian special operation to replace the Ukrainian president with him at the first stages of the illegal military aggression against Ukraine,” the newspaper writes.
His son was sanctioned for the same reason and for “dealing with separatist groups in Donbas”.
The 49-year-old is accused of enriching himself through ties to his father’s former regime and owning businesses and real estate in the self-proclaimed “republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk, territories controlled by pro-Russian forces in Donbas.
As sanctioned persons, Yanukovych and his son will be banned from issuing EU visas and any assets they may have in EU countries will be frozen.
Follow the latest events of the 162nd day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.
Source: Hot News RU
James Springer is a renowned author and opinion writer, known for his bold and thought-provoking articles on a wide range of topics. He currently works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he uses his unique voice and sharp wit to offer fresh perspectives on current events. His articles are widely read and shared and has earned him a reputation as a talented and insightful writer.