The British government has imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the wake of the Russian operation in Ukraine, according to the UK’s sanctions list updated on Friday, TASS reports.
The restrictions are reported to involve freezing Putin’s and Lavrov’s accounts, if any are found.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a new round of sanctions would be imposed on Russia in the wake of its military operation in Ukraine. In particular, restrictions targeted the VTB bank, Rostec, the United Aircraft Corporation, the United Shipbuilding Corporation, and Uralvagonzavod. In addition, Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot was banned from the UK. London also set a limit on the amount that Russian citizens can hold in UK bank accounts to 50,000 pounds ($66,800).
Among the individuals targeted by British sanctions, which involve asset freezes, are Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President-Chairman of the VTB Bank Management Board and the son of Director of the Russian Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov; Promsvyazbank CEO Pyotr Fradkov; Deputy Chairman of the Sibur Management Board Kirill Shamalov; Director General of the United Aircraft Corporation Yury Slyusar and Novikombank Chair (a subsidiary of the Rostec state corporation) Elena Georgieva.
The UK will prohibit high-tech exports to Russia. Moreover, the British government will restrict payment clearing with dollars and euros for Russian banks.
The Prime Minister of Great Britain called on NATO leaders to take immediate action against the use of the SWIFT payment system in Russia. According to Johnson, London "will soon impose sanctions on President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in addition to the package of sanctions announced by Great Britain yesterday."
It is not specified what the tightening will be. At the same time, the head of the British government stated in a special operation in Ukraine that it was impossible to normalize relations with Russia.
“Johnson added that there can be no normalization of relations after Russia's actions,” the statement said.
Thus, in a conversation with NATO leaders, he said that "the catastrophe is swallowing Ukraine", that it is a "Euro-Atlantic crisis with global consequences."
Johnson also spoke about London's proposal to strengthen NATO's eastern borders, saying “Britain is ready for any new request from the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Europe to provide military assistance to NATO by the British Armed Forces,” the office of the head of the government informs.
"NATO must play a leading role in the future of European security, it is vital that it is strengthened now," Johnson added.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova referred to the statement of Great Britain imposing sanctions on Putin and Lavrov.
“Neither Putin nor Lavrov have accounts in Britain or anywhere else. Maybe the Kingdom government did not freeze, but “melted something,”” Zakharova wrote in the Telegram.
