The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Russia is hit with 50 new UK sanctions
Russia’s war machine has been slapped with 50 new sanctions by the UK as the second anniversary of the Ukraine invasion approaches.
Announcing the new measures, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britain would continue to back Kyiv “for as long as it takes”.
The Foreign Office said the sanctions would crack down on those supplying Russia’s military with munitions such as rocket launch systems, missiles and explosives.
The sanctions also target key sources of Russian revenue, clamping down on metals, diamonds and the energy trade, in a move designed to cut off funding for President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts from every angle, officials said.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24 2022, with the bloody incursion by the Kremlin due to enter into a third year tomorrow.
The conflict has largely ground to a stalemate and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly urged the West to provide more weapons or risk emboldening Russia’s forces.
Lord Cameron said continued allied economic pressure would mean Mr Putin “cannot afford this illegal invasion” to continue.
The foreign secretary, announcing the extra sanctions in a statement, said: “Ukraine has shown
that it can and will defend itself.
“Putin mistakenly thought that because Russia’s economy is bigger than Ukraine’s, he would gain a quick victory.
“But the economies of Ukraine’s friends are 25 times bigger than Russia’s.
“And two years on, we
stand united in support for Ukraine. Our international economic pressure means Russia cannot afford this illegal invasion.
“Together, we will not let up in the face of tyranny. We will continue to support Ukraine as it fights for democracy – for as long as it takes.”