The “Azov sanctions” package was discussed and approved - Head of State
The package of the so-called "Azov sanctions" against Russia for its aggression against Ukrainian servicemen and the capture of Ukrainian seamen and several ships has been discussed and approved. It was stated by President Poroshenko during his conversation with journalists following the first day of the working visit to Munich, where he will take part in the annual security conference.
"We have coordinated our efforts regarding sanctions today. The package of sanctions, the so-called "Azov package", was discussed and approved today - this is exactly what I promised you in December when we were forced to call for the global solidarity," Petro Poroshenko said.
The President also instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin to hold a meeting with Ukrainian partners on Sunday and discuss the preliminary coordination of actions regarding the introduction of sanctions. "And there is no doubt that in the coming days, at the beginning of next week, sanctions in Brussels in coordination with Ukraine will definitely be adopted," he added.
The Head of State said that the issue of imposing sanctions had been discussed during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the context of the liberation of Ukrainian seamen. "We discussed and coordinated our efforts to release Ukrainian prisoners of war, 24 our sailors. To release Ukrainian ships and ensure freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov," Petro Poroshenko said.
"This issue is constantly touched upon by our NATO partners at the NATO-Russia Commission and during the security conference meetings here in Munich. And of course, if there is no progress, sanctions will be applied in the near future," the President emphasized.
According to the Head of State, the issue of sanctions was also discussed with Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations James Risch. "Mr. Risch is a co-author of the draft decision on the introduction of sanctions against Russia, particularly for the act of aggression against Ukrainian ships in the neutral waters of the Black Sea," Petro Poroshenko said.
"Today the sanctions project consists of 124 pages, and this will be the price that Russia has to pay for the act of aggression against Ukraine," he noted.
The Head of State noted that today Ukraine had got full support from the Chairman of the Committee, and tomorrow he would have a meeting with Vice President of the United States, Mr. Michael Pence. "We will continue this work in coordination with our American partners," Petro Poroshenko said, noting that a broad agenda is planned for the discussion "in terms of security, in terms of NATO and in terms of support for the reforms".
