On Saturday, the Ukrainian President Vlodomir Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions on 141 official entities and 300 individuals, including the head of the Syrian president, Bashar al Assad.
Under the decree, which came in support of the proposal of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, sanctions were also imposed on the Syrian Prime Minister, Hussein Arnous, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal al Miqdad.
Ukraine’s sanctions, which will last for 10 years, include asset freezes, restrictions on business operations, and suspension of economic and financial obligations.
The decree punishes 141 official entities and 300 individuals, including a number of Russian citizens, according to the same source.
On June 30, Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with the Syria, against Syria’s recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.
In his nightly video address on Saturday, Zelensky which he announced new sanctions against Russia, and mentioned the crimes committed by the Russians in Syria.
Zelensky said that Ukraine imposed sanctions against 400 individuals and companies, most of them from Russia, as well as others from Syria and Iran, who are helping Russian terrorism.
Zelensky added, “Russia’s violations aren’t only limited to Ukraine and Crimea before it, but also included Syria, and the Syrian people didn’t receive adequate and appropriate international protection, and this gave the Kremlin a sense of impunity”.
He continued, “The Russians bombed and destroyed Syrian cities in the same way they used in Ukrainian cities, and the Russians’ impunity formed an important part of their follow-up to this aggressive approach, and when the power of international covenants and the power of achieving justice on our land are restored, we will ensure that peace is achieved not only in Ukraine, but also in other regions of the world”.
