KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament approved sanctions on Wednesday against 351 Russians, including lawmakers who supported recognising the independence of two separatist-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine and the deployment of Russian troops there.
The sanctions impose restrictions including barring those sanctioned from entering Ukraine, and preventing their access to assets, capital, property and business licenses. Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council was due to impose the sanctions after the vote.
“We should address the national security council to immediately impose sanctions against criminals, against every deputy of the State Duma of Russia, who voted for dismembering Ukraine,” Iryna Herashchenko, a member of the European Solidarity faction, said before the vote.
Last week, 351 Russian lawmakers voted to appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognise the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine that are controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Putin did so on Monday.
(Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Maria Tsvetkova; editing by Matthias Williams and Timothy Heritage)
