Brussels, 29/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 29 April, the European Union imposed official sanctions on 15 individuals whose actions “compromise or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”. These individuals include Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak and Minister for Crimean Affairs Oleg Genrikhovich Savelyev, who are being held “responsible for supervising the integration of the annexed autonomous Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation”.
The EU also imposed sanctions on the head of the Russian armed forces and Deputy Minister for Defence Valery Vasilevich Gerasimov, who is considered “responsible for the massive deployment of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine and the absence of any de-escalation measures”. The chief of military intelligence (GRU) and deputy head of the armed forces, Igor Dmitrievich Sergun, is considered “responsible for the activity of GRU agents in the east of Ukraine” and has also been included in the list published in the EU Official Journal.
The vice-presidents of the Duma, Ludmila Ivanovna Shevetsova and Sergei Ivanovich Neverov are considered “responsible for drawing up legislation to incorporate the annexed autonomous Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation” and are also subject to sanctions. This is also the case with Olga Fedorovna Kovatidi, a member of the Russian Federation Council in the annexed Autonomous Republic of the Crimea, and Oleg Yevgenyvich Belaventsev, the Representative Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the “Crimean Federal Disrtict”. Sergei Ivanovich Menyailo, the provisional governor of the city of Sevastopol, is also added to the list, together with Igor Strelkov, a member of the general staff for military intelligence, implicated in incidents that have occurred in Sloviansk an assistant to the self-proclaimed prime minister of Crimea.
The EU has also imposed sanctions on pro-Russian separatist leaders, German Prokopiv, Denys Pushylin, Valeriy Bolotov, Tsyplakov Sergey Gennadevich and Andriy Purgin, accused of being “the coordinators of 'Russian tourist' actions in Donetsk”.
These 15 individuals are subject to visa bans and the freezing of their assets.
In press release on 29 April, High Representative Catherine Ashton stated that the EU would continue to monitor developments in Ukraine closely and, “if necessary”, would “look at possible additional individual measures”.
Russia immediately denounced these sanctions and underlined “a new instalment of sanctions imposed by the EU on Russian and Ukrainian citizens cannot but cause repulsion”. “Instead of making the Kiev clique take seats at a conference table together with the south-eastern regions and discuss the future structure of the country, our partners have taken lead from Washington and are making ever more unfriendly gestures towards Russia” said the foreign minister. He added that, “if someone in Brussels hopes to stabilise the situation in Ukraine this way, this is an obvious evidence of full misinterpretation of domestic political situation in that country and direct invitation to local neo-Nazis to continue their outrage and lynch civilians in south-eastern Ukraine”.
At a press conference in Brussels, the former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yushchenko, called for phase 3 sanctions. He said that “the key question is whether the West is capable of introducing group 3 restrictions” and underlined that targeted sanctions in phase 2 are not enough. He argued that “applying phase 3 sanctions will be a significant and very important response to this crisis”, adding that this could lead to the Russian population and society reassessing their leaders in a negative light. Yushchenko also highlighted the efficiency of foreign aid to Ukraine in economic terms, which he believed was “one of the best sanctions against Russia”.
EU announces further transition support worth €365 million
The EU announced on the same day further support for Ukraine worth €365 million to help the country's transition and stimulate the role of civil society in the promotion and follow-up of democratic reform and inclusive socio-economic development. €355 million will be devoted to the construction of the state apparatus, in the form of budgetary support. The remaining €10 million will go to supporting civil society. In a press release, the Commission stressed that “the programme is subject to conditions and depends on the progress in reforms tackling corruption, public administration, constitutional reform, electoral legislation and legal reform”. These funds are part of the programme announced by the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, on 5 March.
Call for release of OSCE observers
In her press statement, Ashton also called for the immediate release of the military observers from the OSCE and stated: “We strongly support the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. We are looking into requests for further assistance to allow the Mission to fully play the role” as set out in the Geneva Statement and “count on the OSCE participating States to do the same”. (CG)