Ukraine: Liz Truss sends message 'Putin must lose'

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The Foreign Secretary imposed the first sanctions against Belarusian individuals and organisations in response to the country’s role in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, including facilitating the invasion from within its borders.

Ms Truss said: “We are inflicting economic pain on Putin and those closest to him.

“We will not rest until Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is restored.

“The Lukashenko regime actively aids and abets Russia’s illegal invasion and will be made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin.

“There will be nowhere to hide. Nothing – and no one – is off the table.”

Four senior defence officials and two military enterprises have been sanctioned with immediate effect under the UK’s Russia sanctions regime.

Those sanctioned include the Belarus Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Victor Gulevich.

The other sanctioned individuals are Major General Andrei Burdyko, Deputy Minister of Defence for Logistics and Chief of Logistics of the Belarusian Armed Forces; Deputy Minister of Defence for Armament and Chief of Armament of the Belarusian Armed Forces, Major General Sergei Simonenko; and Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Andrey Zhuk.

Gulevich is responsible for directing the actions of the Belarusian armed forces, which have supported and enabled the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He has directed joint military exercises with Russia, and consented to the deployment of Russian troops along the border of Belarus with Ukraine, which has directly contributed to Russia’s ability to attack Ukraine, including from positions in Belarus.

Also sanctioned are state enterprises JSC 558 Aircraft Repair Plant and JSC Integral, a military semi-conductor manufacturer.

JSC 558 provides maintenance and servicing to military aircraft at Baranovichi air base, from which Russian aircraft operated as part of the invasion.

These sanctions come after officials from Moscow and Kyiv attended talks which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hoped would establish a ceasefire and get Russia to withdraw forces.

The talks were held on the border with Russia’s strongest ally Belarus.

But a convoy of military vehicles was seen heading east in what looked like preparation to join the Russian invasion.

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was time to “squeeze Russia from the global economy, piece by piece” after he came under pressure for weak sanctions.

He told MPs: “Putin will stand condemned in the eyes of the world and of history: he will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands.”

More to follow…

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