The largest ever British action targeting the use of third countries to aid Russia has been announced after a dramatic plea from Ukraine’s first lady in an interview with Independent TV.
Ministers have clamped down on loopholes that allow Moscow to fuel its invasion following the call from Olena Zelenska that without urgent steps the war risks continuing “endlessly”.
The Independent revealed on Monday that the government was hoping to act imminently on the issue.
Now the foreign secretary James Cleverly has announced 25 new sanctions designed to stop Putin’s regime gaining access to foreign military equipment.
The move would mean there is “nowhere to hide” for those assisting the illegal invasion of Ukraine, he said.
Action is being taken against individuals and businesses in countries including Turkey, Dubai, Slovakia and Switzerland, which the Foreign Office said were “supporting the illegal war in Ukraine”.
Mr Cleverly said the “landmark sanctions will further diminish Russia’s arsenal and close the net on supply chains propping up Putin’s now struggling defence industry.
“There is nowhere for those sustaining Russia’s military machine to hide.”
The UK, alonside countries in the G7 group of nations, had repeatedly warned third parties to “immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s aggression or face severe costs,” he added.
The UK is also taking further action to tackle Iran and Belarus’ support for the Russian military.
Iranian individuals and groups involved in the drone development were slapped with fresh sanctions. These have also been imposed on defence organisations linked to the manufacturing of military tech for the Belarusian regime, which has directly helped Putin’s forces.
Speaking exclusively to Independent TV from the presidential compound in Kyiv, Ms Zelenska warned that without an urgent crackdown on the trade the invasion risked dragging on “endlessly”.
To combat Putin’s regime the world must impose hefty sanctions, and “terminate the possibility of circumventing these sanctions,” Mrs Zelenska said.
In a rare interview Mrs Zelenska said: “There are countries that simply underestimate the threat from Russia who think that it is far from them. When there is such a powerful terrorist in the world, no one can feel completely safe.”
“Some countries continue to conduct trade with [Russia] through third countries and think that this is acceptable because it is important for their business… I believe that this is simply and critically wrong. Resources are being spent on this [war].
But resources will be spent endlessly until Russia’s ability to wage war is stopped,” she added.
On Monday a spokesman for Mr Cleverly said the government’s own assessment “echoes the frustrations the first lady has expressed about the use of third countries to circumvent sanctions”.
He added: “Not only is her a view a position we ourselves have already taken, we are right now working quickly but carefully to make the use of a third country as a ‘cut out’ far more difficult or indeed to try and stop it altogether.”
Among those sanctioned are two Turkey-based businesses, Turkik Union and Azu International, for exporting microelectronics used by Putin’s forces. The Dubai-based Aeromotus Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Trading was also sanctioned for its role in supplying drones to Moscow.
Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev was added to the sanctions list for his involvement in an attempted arms deal between the North Korea and Russia, said the Foreign Office. And Swiss national Anselm Oskar Schmucki was sanctioned for his role in Russia’s financial services sector.