The United Kingdom has sanctioned 386 members of the Russian parliament from the lower house for voting in favour to recognize the independence of separate regions of Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk for a full-scale invasion.
On Friday, the latest announcement was made regarding the penal measures taken by the United Kingdom other international allies took to increase diplomatic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The government said on February 22 that it would approve members of the Duma and on Friday confirmed the procedure.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss asserted in a statement that “We are targeting those involved in Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and those who support this brutal war.
“We will not decrease the pressure and will resume tightening the screw on the Russian economy through sanctions; she added.
The Foreign Office said the listed Duma members would not be allowed to enter the UK or wholly banned from travelling to the UK, acquiring assets in Britain or doing business in the country.
The European Union has already punished the same group of Russian legislators.
Russia has been attacking cities in Ukraine, while its central assault force north of Kyiv has halted progress since the early days of the invasion.
Russia denies that it has invaded Ukraine but says it is running a “special operation” to disarm and “de-Nazify” Ukraine, which it says will be planning in favour of it.
On Thursday, Britain imposed sanctions on seven more Russian people in business, including Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, in an attempt to root out Russian assets parked in Britain and increase pressure on Putin and his allies.
The UK denies the criticism from opposition legislators and campaigners. Still, ministers have acknowledged that the current sanctions regime was too cumbersome, and the government is passing emergency legislation to streamline that process.
