London: The United Kingdom will introduce its most severe sanctions against Russia on Monday, with the aim of paralyzing Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine, since the conflict enters its third year, confirmed the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, David Lammy.
“This is also the time to turn on the screws (Vladimir) Russia of Putin,” Lammy said in a statement.
“Tomorrow, I plan to announce the largest sanctions against Russia since the first days of the war, eroding its military machine and reducing the income that feeds the fires of destruction in Ukraine,” he added.
The United Kingdom’s decision to increase sanctions occurs when the president of the United States, Donald Trump, in recent weeks has sought to put aside Kyiv and his European sponsors of conversations with Russia about the future of the conflict.
“This is a critical moment in the history of Ukraine, Great Britain and all of Europe … now is the time for Europe to double our support for Ukraine,” Lammy said.
London has already imposed sanctions on 1,900 people and organizations with Link’s to the Putin government since the beginning of the war, as of January 2025.
Their sanctions are directed to the Russian financial, aviation, military and energy sectors, even through freezing of bank assets, travel prohibitions and commercial restrictions.
The EU countries last week agreed a new round of sanctions that include a ban on Russian aluminum imports that will be formally adopted on Monday.
‘Bridge’
In his statement, Lammy reiterated the military support of the United Kingdom, which includes a promise to provide £ 3 billion ($ 3.78 billion) annually to kyiv and “be ready and willing to provide the troops of the United Kingdom as part of the Peace maintenance forces if necessary. “
“Outside the battlefield, we will work with the American and European partners to achieve sustainable, fair peace, and in doing so, remain clear that there can be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” Lammy added.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, made separate phone calls with the head of the EU Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, repeating a message similar to Lammy.
Starmer addresses Washington to meet Trump on Thursday, hoping to act as a “bridge” between the United States and Europe to guarantee territorial and security guarantees for kyiv in case of an agreement to end the war.
The task seems increasingly challenging after a public dispute in the last week between Zelensky and Trump, who called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” and cheered “good conversations” with Russia.
Trump also accused Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron not doing anything to finish the war in a Fox News interview on Friday.
European countries fear that if Ukraine is forced to a bad business by Washington, that will leave Putin claiming the victory and the continent at the mercy of a emboldened Moscow.
