London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that his country would target Russia with the “first bombardment” of economic sanctions. He warned that President Vladimir Putin was adamant about launching a “complete war against Ukraine”. He was speaking after an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room-A (COBRA) in the morning in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize two separate regions in eastern Ukraine.
The British prime minister accused Putin of violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Johnson said, “They have sent troops in, they have broken international law, they have rejected the Minsk agreements and they have also sabotaged the 1994 agreement in Budapest that respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine.” Is.”
Johnson said he had flouted international law so he would immediately impose economic sanctions. He expressed hope that the people of Russia would also be expecting sanctions. Emergency meetings of the British government are held in the Cabinet Office Briefing Room and usually in Briefing Room A, which is why they are called COBRA. This meeting took place after the statement of British Health Minister Sajid Javid. Javid said that tanks had been seen near Donysk, one of those areas, from which it could be concluded that the ‘attack on Ukraine has begun’.
“The UK will announce new sanctions on Russia in response to a breach of international law and an attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty-integrity,” British Ambassador Barbara Woodward said at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. Any action by this would have serious economic consequences.” He said the council should unite and condemn the aggression against a sovereign nation, including calling on Russia to immediately de-escalate. He called for the united defense of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed that preparations are underway to impose sanctions on people and organizations affiliated with Russia and that recent laws will be used. Earlier this month the British government passed new legislation that increases its powers to impose sanctions on people linked to Russian actions in Ukraine.
The law gave the government powers to impose sanctions on Russian businesses and individuals in strategically important sectors such as the chemical, defense, information, and communication technology (ICT) and financial services industries. Britain’s Western allies, including the US, France, and the European Union, have condemned Putin’s move and promised to impose sanctions.
Putin has signed a decree recognizing the independence of two regions of eastern Ukraine, the self-declared People’s Republic of Donetsk and the People’s Republic of Luhansk, which Western countries are condemning. The Russian-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces in those areas since 2014. There are fears that military forces may cross Ukraine’s borders to capture areas recognized by Russia. Putin has said that soldiers going to the two rebel areas will complete the work of ‘peacekeeping’.