The list includes a
number of acting Ukrainian government officials and businessmen
MOSCOW, November 1.
/TASS/. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a government decree introducing
special economic measures against 322 Ukrainian citizens and 68 companies, the
Government press service said on Thursday.
"Special
economic measures are introduced in relation to individuals and legal entities
of Ukraine, which include freezing non-cash funds, non-documentary securities
and property in Russia and banning transfer of funds (withdrawal of capital)
outside Russia. Sanctions will be extended to 322 individuals and 68 legal
entities," the Russian government said.
The list of the
sanctioned individuals includes the Ukrainian president’s son Alexei
Poroshenko, Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, Head of
Naftogaz of Ukraine Andrei Kobolev, Head of the General Staff of the Armed
Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy
Lutsenko, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada
Andrei Paruby, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Konstantin
Yeliseyev, ultra-nationalists Oleg Tyagnibok and Dmitri Yarosh, ex-premier of
Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, leader of the Batkivshchyna (Motherland) party Yulia
Timoshenko.
These restrictions
also are also being imposed on judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine,
lawmakers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 8th convocation, major
Ukrainian businessmen, officials of the presidential administration of Ukraine,
heads of executive authorities and large Ukrainian companies, and legal
entities controlled by Ukraine’s top businessmen, the statement said.
Ukraine’s chemical
and mining enterprises make up the majority of the list of 68 legal entities
that fell under the countersanctions. Among those are Azot, Dniproazot,
Ukrhimenergo, Glikohim, Mezhdurechensk Mining and Processing Plant, United
Mining-Chemical Company and its branches, and a number of other companies.
Moscow's
countermeasures are aimed at countering Kiev’s unfriendly actions against
Russian citizens and companies and can be lifted if Ukraine annuls its
sanctions, the Russian government stated.
Thus, Russia’s
countermeasures "are aimed at countering unfriendly actions against
Russian citizens and legal entities from Ukraine and normalizing bilateral
relations." "The Russian government reserves the right to cancel
special economic measures if Ukraine abolishes its restrictive measures imposed
on Russian citizens and legal entities," the government said.
Precautionary
measures
The Ministry of
Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia must
steer Russian companies clear of any negative impact when slapping retaliatory
measures against Ukraine.
"The Ministry of
Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian
Federation should ensure a balance on commodity markets and prevent any
negative impact from the special economic measures ... on the activities of
Russian organizations," the government resolution published on the Russian
government’s official website said.
According to the
statement, the Russian government could issue temporary permits to authorize
certain operations of companies under the restrictions.
According to the
Russian Federal Customs Service, trade turnover between Russia and Ukraine in
2017 increased by 25.6% to $12.9 bln. Growth of mutual trade was observed in
the first time since 2012. Thus, in 2017, Russian exports to Ukraine rose in
all key product groups and imports grew in all product groups, with the
exception of wood.
Russian-Ukrainian
trade relations peaked in 2011, when the volume of mutual trade amounted to
$50.6 bln. Since 2012, trade began to gradually decline and reached its bottom
in 2016, dropping to $10.26 bln. Because of a prolonged decline in mutual
trade, in 2017 Ukraine occupied only 14th place in Russia’s foreign trade.
Whereas Russia, despite the sanctions introduced by Ukraine since 2014,
according to the Ukrainian State Statistics Service, remains its main trading
partner with a 12.4% share in foreign trade.
According to the data
of the Russian Central Bank, direct investments by residents of Ukraine and
Russia in each other’s economies has been on the decline since 2016. At the end
of 2016, there was an inflow of direct investment to the tune of $270 mln from
Ukraine to Russia. Similarly, Russian companies poured $3.4 bln into Ukraine,
Ukraine’s investments in Russia amounted to $285 mln (+21%). At the same time,
Russia's investments in Ukraine in the reporting period reached $3.4 bln
(+10%).
Presidential decree
On October 22,
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on special economic measures
in response to the anti-Russian sanctions of Ukraine. The decree notes that
this decision was made "in response to Ukraine’s unfriendly actions, which
are contrary to the international law and imply introduction of restrictive
measures against citizens and legal entities of the Russian Federation",
adding that they were imposed "in order to protect national
interests."
Prime Minister
Medvedev clarified later, countersanctions "would not apply to Ukrainians
in general," but will concern "only those Ukrainian citizens who harm
the interests of the Russian Federation and take actions aimed at causing
damage to Russia." The list will also include legal entities registered
under the laws of Ukraine, which are in any way controlled by citizens under
countersanctions.
Ukraine’s sanctions
against Russia
In February 2014,
Ukraine introduced sanctions against 1,228 individuals and 468 legal entities,
including Russian government officials, politicians, CEOs, along with
reporters, some Donbass residents, the Almaz-Antey concern, Gazprombank and
Aeroflot.
In 2017, Ukraine also
introduced sanctions against Russian internet and media companies, such as
Mail.ru Group, Yandex, VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.
On June 21, 2018,
Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko signed a decree on expanding sanctions
against Russian individuals and legal entities. The updated list included six
political parties of Russia: United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian
Federation, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, the Rodina party, the
Democratic Party of Russia, and the Agrarian Party of Russia. The list also
includes the Central Election Commission and its head Ella Pamfilova, the
Electoral Commission of Crimea and members of territorial commissions at
various levels.
Source: ITAR-TASS
01-11-2018
