Sanctions against Russia must be applied more resolutely - advisor to Ukrainian president's office

RIGA - Sanctions against Russia must be applied faster and more resolutely, because each day spent in discussions affects the Ukrainian state and its people, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Tuesday at the international conference "Effective sanctions: targets for 2024".

In his speech at the conference, Vlasiuk underlined that soldiers in Ukraine follow the news and are encouraged by each news of fresh Western sanctions against Russia. The Ukrainian soldiers also feel the effect of the sanctions also on the frontline, as Russia is increasingly using military technology components manufactured by third countries, and their weapons, such as drones, are becoming more and more unstable.

Russia uses assistance from China and other countries and is still capable of producing a significant quantity of weapons, but the shortage of components is already becoming more pronounced and the technological gap is likely to keep growing, the Ukrainian sanctions expert said.

According to Vlasiuk, it is regrettable that despite the sanctions regime, it is still noticeable that some Russia continues to use components manufactured in Europe or the USA in its weapons. 

Vlasiuk also noted that Russia has learned to act proactively. "While we are discussing sanctions or ammunition supplies to Ukraine, Russia is acting, and sometimes this allows them to move ahead of us and be able to circumvent sanctions more efficiently," the advisor to the Ukrainian president's office said.

Vlasiuk believes that this year should see work on transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, as well as a review of the previously imposed price ceiling for Russian oil.