On December 25th, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree expanding the list of Ukraine’s individuals and entities subject to sanctions.
The list of Ukrainian individuals and legal entities subject to special restrictions was expanded. I signed a respective resolution. The measure is to protect the interests of the Russian state, companies and citizens
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) December 25, 2018
This was done in continuation of the November 1st government decree introducing special economic measures against 322 Ukrainian citizens and 68 companies. Counter-sanctions included freezing non-cash funds, non-documentary securities and property in Russia and banning transfer of funds (withdrawal of capital) outside Russia
They were, however, expanded, now a total of 567 individuals and 75 Ukrainian companies face Russian economic sanctions.
The document and the decision were posted on the Russian government’s website on December 25th.
In particular, the list comprises Ukrainian defense companies Ukroboronprom and Ukrspetsexport. Sanctions were also imposed on the energy company Tsentrenergo and the State Export-Import Bank of Ukraine. Thus the list was expanded by 7 companies since the announcement and the original list from November 1st.
In terms of sanctioned individuals, the list contains Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanv, chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Vasily Burba and Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of the Interior Sergey Yarovoy. They are members of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s Samopomich Party. Several other PMs from the Poroshenko Bloc are also in the list of sanctioned individuals.
Also on the list are co-chairman of Opposition Bloc Boris Kolesnikov, the head of its parliamentary faction Vadim Novinsky and its deputies Alexander Vilkul and Mikhail Dobkin who refused to join a new association, Opposition Platform – For Life, Nashi Party leader Yevgeny Murayev, Alyona Babak from Samopomich and Alyona Shkrum from Batkivshchyna Party. The list was expanded by 245 individuals since it was originally posted with the decision on November 1st.
Earlier, on December 6th the Russian Prime Minister tweeted that the Ukrainian people are not the target of the sanctions, nor even the Ukrainian economy. The sanctions were simply aimed at those who “compromised themselves, those who harm our country.”
I would like to officially say once again that the sanctions were not targeted at the Ukrainian people, not even at the Ukrainian economy, but at those who compromised themselves, those who harm our country.
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) December 6, 2018
Russia maintains that its sanctions against Ukrainian citizens and companies are aimed at countering Kiev’s unfriendly actions against Russian citizens and companies and can be abolished if Ukraine lifts its sanctions. The Russian Cabinet also reserved the right to expand tit-for-tat measures against Ukraine.
It is unlikely of Kiev would “change its ways,” especially under Petro Poroshenko’s government, which seems aimed at organizing further provocations simply to keep itself in power.
Furthermore, on December 26th, the Financial Times cited Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister of European Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze who condemned the “shortsightedness” of some EU countries over Russia’s aims and urged the bloc to impose news sanctions over Moscow’s capture last month of Ukrainian naval ships.
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