President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he had asked the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on the Kremlin and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin before the full-scale invasion. However, they refused, notes Zelenskyy in an interview with Central Asian media.
"I asked President Biden (President of the USA) and the European Union to impose sanctions on the Kremlin, Putin, his entourage, and Russia's energy sector before the invasion, so he would know it would hurt. So their people would know it would hurt economically," the head of state said.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine's requests were ignored, and the USA and EU refused to impose sanctions.
"Everyone said no: the Russians should make the first move, and then we will respond accordingly. And what was the result? Massive human losses, irreparable. I think it's a catastrophe. I feel like we are sitting in ruins. People killed, lives destroyed, suffering," the president declared.
Sanctions against Russia
It should be noted that the European Union has already imposed 13 packages of sanctions against Russia. Brussels is currently working on the 14th package. According to the media, the new sanctions list will include 21 more Russian companies and 19 more Russians.
The Financial Times reports that the EU will also tighten sanctions against Belarus. Brussels aims to close loopholes for Russia to restrict the import of luxury cars and goods.
