Ukraine’s Zelensky: Our partners have eased up on sanctions on Russia

KYIV (Reuters): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that his country’s allies had eased sanctions on Russia and called for a renewed drive to impose further punitive measures on Moscow.

“At this time, we see too long a pause by our partners in terms of sanctions,” he said in his nightly video address. “And very active Russian attempts to evade sanctions.”

Zelensky said keeping the pressure on Moscow should focus on Russia’s energy sector, its access to microelectronics and its financial sector.

“There are three priorities: further sanctions against Russia’s energy sector, real restrictions on the supplies going to the terrorists of chips and microelectronics in general and continued blocking of Russia’s financial sector,” he said.

“The world’s sanctions offensive must resume.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko had earlier said Ukraine rejected any suggestion of easing sanctions against Russia as part of efforts to restore the UN-backed agreement to ship grain through the Black Sea.

“Easing part of the sanctions regime against Russia in exchange for the resumption of the grain agreement would be a victory for Russian food blackmail and an invitation to Moscow for new waves of blackmail,” Nikolenko wrote on Facebook.