Rada Calls On International Community To Impose Tough Sanctions Against Russian Leadership, Disconnect Russia From SWIFT And Ban High Technologies Export To Russia Due To "LDPR" Recognition

The Verkhovna Rada has called on the international community to impose tough financial and personal sanctions against Russia and its leadership, disconnect the Russian Federation from the international interbank information transfer and payment system (SWIFT) and ban the export of high technologies to Russia due to the recognition by Russian President Vladimir Putin of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk "people's republics".

A total of 336 parliamentarians voted for the adoption of draft resolution No. 7088, with the minimum required 226, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

In connection with the recognition on February 21, 2022 by Putin of the independence of illegal self-proclaimed entities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the order to send Russian troops into the territory of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament calls for additional tough sectoral, financial and personal sanctions against the Russian Federation and its leadership in order to stop its armed aggression against Ukraine and preventing further escalation of the situation in Europe, including freezing the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, disconnecting the Russian Federation from SWIFT and banning the export of high technologies to the Russian Federation, in particular those related to the Russian military-industrial complex and the energy sector.

The Rada also calls on the governments and parliaments of foreign states to help strengthen the defense capability of Ukraine and accelerate the provision of comprehensive, including defense, assistance aimed at strengthening the ability of the Ukrainian state to respond to the aggravation of the security situation from the Russian Federation, as well as to support the Ukrainian economy and its financial stability.

By the adopted resolution, the Rada emphasizes that by recognizing the "LPR" and "DPR" Russia carried out an act of yet another aggression and once again grossly violated the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders, as well as a number of international legal acts of a multilateral and bilateral nature, in particular the Charter of the United Nations, the Final Act of Cooperation in Europe of August 1, 1975 and the Memorandum of Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of December 5, 1994 (the Budapest Memorandum).
The Rada notes that the decision to recognize the "LDPR" was approved by the Russian leadership despite all the efforts of Ukraine and the international community to peacefully resolve the international armed conflict carried out by the Russian Federation in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

It is also emphasized that, having adopted this decision, Russia unilaterally de facto withdrew from the Minsk agreements, of which it is a signatory, and also destroyed the corresponding negotiation process at the level of the countries participating in the Normandy format and within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group for the peaceful settlement of the situation in separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

As part of the peace process and the legislation of Ukraine, the concepts of temporarily occupied territories are defined as "separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine" and the boundaries of these Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.

It is noted that there are no other formations on the territory of these regions of Ukraine.

The resolution notes that Ukraine remains committed to the political and diplomatic path of resolving the international armed conflict.

Thus, the Ukrainian Parliament notes that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol and separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain an integral part of the territory of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia.

The Parliament declares that there are no legal consequences of the decision taken by Russia and urges to immediately take all necessary measures to cancel their illegal decisions aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as to eliminate the consequences caused by such actions of the Russian Federation.

The Rada calls on foreign states and international and regional organizations not to recognize the independence of illegal self-proclaimed entities in separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to refrain from any actions or steps that could be interpreted as their recognition.

At that, the Rada states the fact that Russia is an aggressor - a party to the conflict, and all this time its troops have been and continue to be in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The Parliament condemns and holds Russia responsible for the sharp deterioration in the security situation, mass disinformation and propaganda, which the Russian Federation resorted to in order to create a far-fetched pretext for deciding to recognize illegal self-proclaimed entities in separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Rada also calls on the governments and parliaments of foreign states, international organizations and their parliamentary assemblies to strongly condemn this decision of the Russian Federation as illegal and emphasizes that this decision is part of the long-term systemic efforts of the Russian Federation aimed at undermining the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and destroying its statehood.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on February 21, Putin made a decision on the appeal to him from the State Duma and the leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk "People's Republics" for their recognition.