Natalia Zinets

LVIV Ukraine (Reuters). Ukraine seeks sanctions that will be enough economically disruptive for Russia to stop its war. It accuses some countries of prioritizing cash over punishments for civilian murders, which the West has condemned as war crimes.

In his weekly video address, President Volodymyr Zilenskiy stated that the democratic world should reject Russian oil and block all Russian banks from international finance systems.

Over 4,000,000 people fled Russia after a six week-long invasion. It also killed and injured many others.

Washington has announced sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s daughters. These measures were taken days following the tragic discovery that civilians had been shot to death in Bucha, North Kyiv.

Also, the United States wants Russia to be removed from the Group of 20 largest economies forum. They will also boycott several meetings at G20 Indonesia in case Russian officials turn up.

However, Andriy Ermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said that his allies had to go even further on Wednesday.

He stated, “Sanctions against Russia should be severe enough to allow us to stop this horrible war.”

“My goal” is to put an embargo on Russia’s supply of technology and equipment as well as minerals and ores, and to end the production of arms in Russia.

Zelenskiy had previously been critical of others in the West.

He stated that the only thing we lack is the principled approach by some leaders…who still believe that war and crimes of war are not as terrible as financial losses.”

On Wednesday, European Union diplomats were unable to approve the new sanctions. Technical issues such as whether a ban of coal would have an impact on existing contracts needed to be resolved, sources claimed.

EU member Hungary indicated that it would pay Russian requests to cover its gas. It broke with the bloc, and highlighted Europe’s dependence upon imports which have prevented it from responding to a harsher Kremlin response.

Western officials have condemned the Bucha killings as war crimes. Ukrainian officials claim that a mass grave dug by a Ukrainian church contained 150 to 300 corpses.

Moscow has denied that it targeted civilians in Bucha or anywhere else. Russia’s foreign minister claimed that Bucha images were used to justify more sanctions against Moscow, and delay peace negotiations with Kyiv.

Russia asserts that it is involved in a special military operation to “denazify” and demilitarise Ukraine. That is a pretext to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the West rejects.

BESIEGED CITY

The general staff of Ukrainian armed forces stated that Russia is still ready to attack the eastern regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, and the southern port of Mariupol where thousands of people are held.

Ukrainian authorities claim that they can’t help the people flee from Izyum on the eastern frontline or deliver humanitarian aid as it is totally under Russian control. This is because Russia has the greatest fighting in the east.

The eastern city of Derhachi is located just north of Kharkiv, near Russia’s border. Many have made the decision to flee the area.

Russian artillery has caused severe damage to buildings. Kharkiv was hit hard by missile and air attacks from the very beginning.

Mykola was the father of two children in Derhachi. His surname is not known.

He tried to contain his tears as he hugged his little boy and stated, “(We’ll move) anywhere there aren’t any explosions, so the children won’t have to hear them.”

NEW SANCTIONS

American citizens are prohibited from investing in Russia under the new sanctions.

According to U.S. officials, sanctions on Russia hit Sberbank (which holds one-third Russia’s banking assets) and Alfabank (the fourth largest financial institution in Russia), but not energy transactions.

Britain also frozen Sberbank assets and stated that it would prohibit imports from Russian coal before the end of this year.

Europe must tread carefully as Russia provides 40% of EU’s food and oil, while the EU imports a third of its oil from Russia each day at $700million per day.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, which depends heavily on Russian oil for its energy, has warned it is not possible to end Russian gas imports overnight.

The sanctions aside, Wednesday’s recovery gains by the Russian ruble were extended, returning to pre-invasion levels. It paid its dollar bondholders with roubles, ignoring any fears that it might default on international debt.