Zelenskyy announces talks with UK over sanctions against Russia
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine is holding active talks with the UK on sanctions policy against Russia. The issue is very sensitive, and separate bilateral negotiations are expected to take place in the near future, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address.
According to the President, Ukraine’s team spoke today with the British side about sanctions against Russia.
"This is a very sensitive issue, and there has been a lot of discussion in the media and among politicians," Zelenskyy said.
He added that Ukraine has already conveyed its position to London and expects all issues to be discussed at the bilateral level this week. He also described sanctions as one of the most effective tools.
The discussions concern both Ukraine’s long-range strikes and economic and political restrictions imposed by partners.
"Sanctions are what most effectively impact Russia," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Britain has recently faced a wave of criticism after partially easing sanctions against Russia. This involved allowing imports of fuel made from Russian oil, which British authorities justified by citing risks of potential shortages of diesel and aviation fuel on the market.
Following the backlash over this decision, UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant admitted in Parliament that the sanctions easing had been implemented in a "clumsy" way. According to him, it created a misleading impression about the UK government’s stance on maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia.
Following these events, Kyiv and London entered into active consultations concerning sanctions policy and further pressure on Moscow.
