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03 December 2020, 14:43
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze: “Ukrainian sanctions against Russia are weaker than the sanctions of Western partners”
On December 2, a joint committee hearing on “Application,
implementation and monitoring of special economic and other restrictive
measures (sanctions)” was held. The hearing was initiated by the
Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation. The
representatives of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU,
the Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, as well
as experts, civil society representatives and journalists participated
in the event.
Participants discussed the possibility of creating a special state body that will ensure the formation of state policy in the field of sanctions; creation and maintenance of the Unified state sanctions register; expanding the range of initiators of sanctions; expanding the list of grounds and principles for the application of sanctions, as well as types of sanctions.
“Russia has learned to live with the sanctions that were imposed on it and that were painful at first. Through its partners and satellites, by selling and importing certain products that are subject to sanctions, Russia has learned to circumvent these sanctions”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU said. She added that Ukraine should demand from the Western partners that sanctions against Russia should be strengthened. The compliance with them should be strictly controlled so that Russia cannot circumvent these restrictions. “We must continue to work to strengthen sanctions in the energy sector, which are the most painful for Russia. This also applies to Nord Stream-2 and technologies for oil or gas production. We must also insist on the imposition of personal sanctions not only against the offenders themselves, but also against members of their families. This will be a much more serious and painful mechanism for Russia, and it could have a serious effect. Ukraine also needs to expand its own range of responses to Russia's violations of various components of international coexistence”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze added.
Valentyn Nalyvaichenko noted that Ukraine should act adequately and in accordance with the practice of the European Union on the issue of sanctions against the aggressor country. «Sanctions should be personal, sectoral (economic) and diplomatic. Ukrainian legislation should ensure the implementation and application of such sanctions by all authorities”, — Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said. He noted that sanctions were a financial weapon against the aggressor and the greatest damage the enemy suffered is from economic sanctions — both sectoral and personal. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko also mentioned the EU sanctions against former high-ranking Ukrainian officials, which were introduced in 2014. “In six years, only 10 of 22 people remain in this sanctions list. And the second important question is when, finally, will the assets of at least these mentioned high-ranking officials be confiscated and returned to the budget of Ukraine?”, —Nalyvaichenko added.
The participants also discussed the importance of compliance with sanctions in Ukraine, as well as monitoring and control mechanisms for this compliance. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko informed that he was preparing a draft law that would define national sanctions, international sanctions and single state register of sanctions, as well as a clear and effective mechanism for monitoring compliance with sanctions. In Ukraine, according to Nalyvaichenko, there are examples of how even state-owned companies circumvent sanctions. For example, the state energy company “Energoatom” still buys equipment from Russia through Estonia and Germany. “Sanctions, in fact, do not work and it causes both economic and political damage to Ukraine and Ukrainian state-owned enterprises”, — Valentin Nalyvaichenko summed up.
In Ukraine for the last 6 years no case for violation of sanctions was initiated and no fine was imposed. The participants of the hearings unanimously agreed on the need to create a single register of sanctions, a mechanism for monitoring compliance with them, as well as the creation of a legal framework for regulating sanctions policy. “In Ukraine, there is still no systemic sanctions policy, even against Russia”, — professor Volodymyr Vasylenko stressed. He considers it urgent to create a framework law that will form the basis of such a policy.
As a result of the hearings, recommendations will be developed that will determine the direction of further work of the Parliament, the Government, experts and civil society in the process of creating a new sanctions policy of Ukraine.
Participants discussed the possibility of creating a special state body that will ensure the formation of state policy in the field of sanctions; creation and maintenance of the Unified state sanctions register; expanding the range of initiators of sanctions; expanding the list of grounds and principles for the application of sanctions, as well as types of sanctions.
“Russia has learned to live with the sanctions that were imposed on it and that were painful at first. Through its partners and satellites, by selling and importing certain products that are subject to sanctions, Russia has learned to circumvent these sanctions”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU said. She added that Ukraine should demand from the Western partners that sanctions against Russia should be strengthened. The compliance with them should be strictly controlled so that Russia cannot circumvent these restrictions. “We must continue to work to strengthen sanctions in the energy sector, which are the most painful for Russia. This also applies to Nord Stream-2 and technologies for oil or gas production. We must also insist on the imposition of personal sanctions not only against the offenders themselves, but also against members of their families. This will be a much more serious and painful mechanism for Russia, and it could have a serious effect. Ukraine also needs to expand its own range of responses to Russia's violations of various components of international coexistence”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze added.
Valentyn Nalyvaichenko noted that Ukraine should act adequately and in accordance with the practice of the European Union on the issue of sanctions against the aggressor country. «Sanctions should be personal, sectoral (economic) and diplomatic. Ukrainian legislation should ensure the implementation and application of such sanctions by all authorities”, — Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said. He noted that sanctions were a financial weapon against the aggressor and the greatest damage the enemy suffered is from economic sanctions — both sectoral and personal. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko also mentioned the EU sanctions against former high-ranking Ukrainian officials, which were introduced in 2014. “In six years, only 10 of 22 people remain in this sanctions list. And the second important question is when, finally, will the assets of at least these mentioned high-ranking officials be confiscated and returned to the budget of Ukraine?”, —Nalyvaichenko added.
The participants also discussed the importance of compliance with sanctions in Ukraine, as well as monitoring and control mechanisms for this compliance. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko informed that he was preparing a draft law that would define national sanctions, international sanctions and single state register of sanctions, as well as a clear and effective mechanism for monitoring compliance with sanctions. In Ukraine, according to Nalyvaichenko, there are examples of how even state-owned companies circumvent sanctions. For example, the state energy company “Energoatom” still buys equipment from Russia through Estonia and Germany. “Sanctions, in fact, do not work and it causes both economic and political damage to Ukraine and Ukrainian state-owned enterprises”, — Valentin Nalyvaichenko summed up.
In Ukraine for the last 6 years no case for violation of sanctions was initiated and no fine was imposed. The participants of the hearings unanimously agreed on the need to create a single register of sanctions, a mechanism for monitoring compliance with them, as well as the creation of a legal framework for regulating sanctions policy. “In Ukraine, there is still no systemic sanctions policy, even against Russia”, — professor Volodymyr Vasylenko stressed. He considers it urgent to create a framework law that will form the basis of such a policy.
As a result of the hearings, recommendations will be developed that will determine the direction of further work of the Parliament, the Government, experts and civil society in the process of creating a new sanctions policy of Ukraine.