Ukraine and the World: Reactions to Easing Sanctions Against Russia and Future Efforts
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga summarized the efforts of Ukrainian diplomacy regarding sanctions against the Russian Federation, highlighting notable progress in two key areas and pointing out certain difficulties with restricting Putin’s entourage.
According to Sybiga, Ukrainian diplomatic agencies are actively working on forming the 20th package of sanctions aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia.
He stated that Ukraine has a clear understanding of the priorities and is coordinating closely with international partners to maximize effectiveness.
The main goals of these sanctions are to cut off Russian companies from access to modern technologies, especially military ones; reduce the funding of Russia’s military machine; and impose restrictions on the regime, including Putin’s inner circle.
While significant progress has been achieved in two of these directions, there has been some regression concerning the third — some European countries are attempting to exclude certain Russian oligarchs from sanctions lists.
Ukraine continues to insist on maintaining sanctions against large businesses involved in supporting Russia’s military operations.
Experts estimate that the economic impact of the 19th sanctions package could reach up to $20 billion, significantly increasing pressure on Moscow.
Additionally, Ukrainian officials are monitoring trade flows with Central Asian countries, particularly concerning the circumvention of sanctions through re-exports of dual-use products, and plan to tighten controls in this area.
Minister Sybiga emphasized that although imports from Russia to the EU have decreased since the onset of full-scale invasion, they still persist, and Ukraine is considering introducing additional tariffs if sanctions are not fully enforced.
Despite these challenges, EU countries remain among Russia’s main trading partners, which complicates efforts to implement comprehensive sanctions and addresses broader implications for the global economy.