Presidential envoy suggests under what conditions sanctions against Russia may be lifted
17 March 16:39
Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk has suggested that Western sanctions against Russia could be lifted if it helps ensure security and justice in Ukraine.
He said this in an interview with Politico, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
According to Vlasiuk, economic restrictions, embargoes and bans on Russian energy imports “have their own goals, which can push Russia to stop its aggression and force it to conclude a lasting peace agreement,” and not just be “punishment of any kind.”
At the same time, “it’s too early to say what kind of sanctions lifting should be part of any agreement,” he added.
“We just want to make sure that Russia first takes significant steps in this direction, and then we can talk about lifting sanctions. We can already see that the Russians are trying to raise the question of whether these sanctions should be lifted, at least some of them, which gives us a better understanding of which sanctions are the most painful,” Vlasiuk said.
The Ukrainian official noted that as part of any long-term deal that would provide security guarantees for Ukraine, Kyiv would seek “justice for the people,” which would likely include “compensation for Ukrainians,” given the scale of the casualties.
Although Moscow continues to depend on fossil fuel production to pay soldiers’ salaries and purchase military equipment, its energy export revenues have been reduced by billions due to sanctions and the loss of business with the West. Against this backdrop, Vlasiuk raised the question of the prospect of European countries signing new deals to buy Russian oil and gas if and when the war ends.
“Russia has a great potential, especially in energy resources, and it would probably be foolish not to try to use it,” he said.
The official expressed hope that Ukraine will never again find itself in a situation of complete dependence on Russian energy resources of any kind.
“But if Russia ever returns to a more or less normal policy towards its partners and neighbors, I believe that it should not be excluded from competitive markets,” Vlasyuk added.
Impact of sanctions
These measures are well thought out and coordinated with allies. They target Russia’s political elite, impose direct costs on Russia due to its aggressive war, and furthermore, deplete Russia’s industrial and economic capacity to wage war, produce more weapons, and repair existing weapons systems. Sanctions deprive the Russian army and its suppliers of the goods and equipment they need to wage war on sovereign Ukrainian territory.
None of the EU sanctions imposed on Russia prevent the supply of agri-food products, medical equipment or medicines to the general population. Agricultural machinery as such is also not subject to any export ban.
None of the sanctions target trade in agri-food products, including grains and fertilizers, between third countries and Russia.
The EU continues to put pressure on Russia
The European Union continues to increase economic pressure on Russia through sanctions, which are an important element of its policy of countering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions require the unanimous support of all 27 EU member states, which often creates difficulties in their adoption due to pro-Russian sentiments of some states.
