The UK and the European Union have imposed sanctions on the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
Yekaterina Sergeyevna Vinokurova, daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, was also added to the UK’s sanctions list.
The Foreign Office said the action is being taken to target the “lavish lifestyles of the Kremlin’s inner circle.”
It said the UK is “sealing off reservoirs of cash funding the conflict, while also making sure those who have benefited from Putin’s rule feel the consequences.”
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement: “Our unprecedented package of sanctions is hitting the elite and their families, while degrading the Russian economy on a scale Russia hasn’t seen since the fall of the Soviet Union.”
She said the UK is working with partners in the G7 to end the use of Russian energy and “further hit Putin’s ability to fund his illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.”
Also on April 8, the EU included Vorontsova and Tikhonova in its updated list of individuals facing assets freezes and travel bans as part of a new package of measures targeting Russia’s economy, businessmen, and oligarchs.
“These latest sanctions were adopted following the atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in Bucha and other places under Russian occupation,” said Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat.
“The aim of our sanctions is to stop the reckless, inhuman, and aggressive behavior of the Russian troops and make clear to the decision makers in the Kremlin that their illegal aggression comes at a heavy cost.”
In addition to sanctions on high-ranking Kremlin officials, oligarchs, and members of their families, the 27-nation bloc also formally approved an embargo on coal imports from Russia starting in August, as well as a full transaction ban on four key Russian banks representing 23 percent of market share in the Russian banking sector.
Also, vessels registered under the Russian flag are now prohibited to access EU ports, with an exception for agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid, and energy.
This is the first time that EU sanctions target Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine.
