Britain has announced its largest ever crackdown on third countries aiding Russia after a dramatic plea from Ukraine’s first lady in an interview with Independent TV.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly said 25 new sanctions would allow “nowhere to hide” for those assisting Moscow’s illegal invasion.
It follows Olena Zelenska’s warning that without urgent steps to clamp down on loopholes that allow Moscow to fuel its war the conflict risks continuing “endlessly”.
The Independent revealed on Monday that the government was hoping to act imminently on the issue.
Those targeted include individuals and businesses in Turkey, Dubai, Slovakia and Switzerland which the Foreign Office said were “supporting the illegal war in Ukraine”.
Ministers are also cracking down on companies outside Russia which supply drones and microelectronics to its defence industry. Sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans.
Mr Cleverly said the “landmark” action would “further diminish Russia’s arsenal and close the net on supply chains propping up Putin’s struggling defence sector.
“There is nowhere for those sustaining Russia’s military machine to hide,” he added.
The UK, alongside others in the G7 group of advanced nations, had repeatedly warned third parties to “immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s aggression or face severe costs,” he added.
The UK is also taking further action to tackle Iran and Belarus’ support for the Russian military.
Iranian individuals and groups involved in drone development were slapped with fresh sanctions. These have also been imposed on defence organisations linked to the manufacturing of military tech for the Belarusian regime, which has directly helped Putin’s forces.
Speaking exclusively to Independent TV from the presidential compound in Kyiv, Ms Zelenska warned that without an urgent crackdown on the trade the invasion risked dragging on “endlessly”.
To combat Putin’s regime the world must impose hefty sanctions, and “terminate the possibility of circumventing these sanctions,” Mrs Zelenska said.
In a rare interview Mrs Zelenska said: “There are countries that simply underestimate the threat from Russia who think that it is far from them. When there is such a powerful terrorist in the world, no one can feel completely safe.”
“Some countries continue to conduct trade with [Russia] through third countries and think that this is acceptable because it is important for their business… I believe that this is simply and critically wrong. Resources are being spent on this [war].
But resources will be spent endlessly until Russia’s ability to wage war is stopped,” she added.
Among those sanctioned are two Turkey-based businesses, Turkik Union and Azu International, for exporting microelectronics used by Putin’s forces. The Dubai-based Aeromotus Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Trading was also sanctioned for its role in supplying drones to Moscow.
Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev was added to the sanctions list for his involvement in an attempted arms deal between the North Korea and Russia, said the Foreign Office. And Swiss national Anselm Oskar Schmucki was sanctioned for his role in Russia’s financial services sector.
On Monday a spokesman for Mr Cleverly said the government’s own assessment “echoes the frustrations the first lady has expressed about the use of third countries to circumvent sanctions”.
He added: “Not only is her a view a position we ourselves have already taken, we are right now working quickly but carefully to make the use of a third country as a ‘cut out’ far more difficult or indeed to try and stop it altogether.”
