War in Ukraine: new Western sanctions after a first day of offensive – Le Monde

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The Russian invasion sparked a shower of condemnations from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and even Canada. Deadly battles between Russians and Ukrainians took place, Thursday, February 24, to the gates of Kiev. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was taken, following the launch by the army of Vladimir Putin of a massive air and ground attack against Ukraine, to which the United States and the European Union responded with new penalties.

“This is a premeditated attack”, said US President Joe Biden to the press at the White House, adding that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had rejected all Western initiatives in favor of dialogue. The American president clarified that Russian-American relations are now completely broken.

Read also Article reserved for our subscribers The story of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, from the announcement of Vladimir Putin to the attacks of the Russian army

  • Joe Biden wants to make Vladimir Putin “an outcast”

Mr. Biden has therefore announced a series of new economic sanctions targeting Russian banks, elites and exports, which he believes will make Vladimir Putin “a pariah on the international scene”. The American president assured that these sanctions would impose a “severe cost to the Russian economy, both immediately and in the long term”.

Four additional Russian banks will also be sanctioned and more than half of Russia’s technology imports cut, he said. “We are also adding names to the list of [élites] Russians and their family members who are sanctioned”said the tenant of the White House.

Sanctioning Vladimir Putin personally is also ” on the table “, announced Joe Biden again, without wanting to give more details. Cutting Russia off from the Swift interbank network, a vital cog in global finance, also remains ” an option “ according to the American president. A request made earlier today by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Read also Ukrainian crisis: can we exclude Russia from the Swift interbank network?

He pointed out, however, that“Currently, it was not [une] location » shared by the Europeans, and assured that the other financial sanctions announced Thursday by the United States and its allies had “as much impact, even more impact” than this option. Joe Biden has once again insisted on repeating that the United States is not acting alone on this issue. “We will limit Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen”, he warned. Joe Biden recalled that NATO countries would meet on Friday to discuss other measures.

  • Europeans approve of “massive” sanctions against Moscow

The Twenty-Seven approved on Thursday a new set of sanctions against Russia, targeting the finance, energy and transport sectors, and which will have “massive consequences”, according to their statement. Approved by European leaders at the start of their summit in Brussels, “in close coordination with partners and allies” of the European Union (EU), these measures will also cover dual-use goods (both civilian and military) and the issuance of visas, specifies the text, without detailing the sanctions.

The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, detailed the measures, overnight from Thursday to Friday, following a European Council, with four components, financial, energy, air and technology:

  • Cut off access to major capital markets: “We are now targeting 70% of the Russian banking market, but also key public companies, particularly in the field of defence. »
  • Russian oil export ban.
  • Ban on the sale of all aircraft, spare parts and equipment to Russian airlines.
  • Limited access to crucial technologies “such as semiconductors or advanced technologies”.

Emmanuel Macron has announced that French sanctions will accompany European sanctions, and that they will target “personal property and personalities”.

Read the editorial of “Le Monde”: War in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin’s double drift

  • London bans Aeroflot and sanctions Russian banks and businessmen

The United Kingdom, for its part, imposed a new series of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, banning the airline Aeroflot and targeting the banking sector, technology exports and five businessmen.

” Putin (…) will never be able to wash their hands of the blood of Ukraine”Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, announcing “the largest and toughest economic sanctions package Russia has ever seen.”

The day before, the first package of British sanctions against Russia had drawn only criticism: it was considered too lukewarm, targeting only second-rate banks and only three oligarchs – out of dozens who elected London as the most welcoming to hide their ill-gotten fortunes.

Read also Article reserved for our subscribers War in Ukraine: UK triggers substantial sanctions package against Russia

  • Canada sanctions 58 Russian individuals and entities

Canada will sanction “58 people and entities” in response to the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday, citing “severe penalties”. Sanctions will target “members of the Russian elite”from “large Russian banks” and “members of the Russian Security Council” in particular, said the Prime Minister.

“We are stopping all export permits for Russia”added Justin Trudeau, believing that the Russian invasion of Ukraine represented a “tremendous threat to security and peace in the world”.

Read also Article reserved for our subscribers War in Ukraine: the prices of oil, wheat and aluminum soar, the stock markets collapse

  • Russia does not want to be excluded from the global economic system

Russia does not want to undermine or be excluded from the global economic system, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, as its invasion of Ukraine has petrified markets and exposed Moscow to devastating sanctions.

“Russia continues to participate in the global economy, we are not about to harm it”declared Vladimir Putin in front of Russian representatives of the business world gathered under the golds of the Kremlin.

“It seems to me that our partners need to understand and not make it their goal to push us out of the system. »

Our selection of articles on the Ukrainian crisis

The World with AFP