Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

UK Imposes Unprecedented Sanctions On Russia After Ukraine Invasion

UK Imposes Unprecedented Sanctions On Russia After Ukraine Invasion

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Boris Johnson called Vladimir Putin a "dictator" who "will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands".

Britain on Thursday imposed a biting package of sanctions on Russia that Prime Minister Boris Johnson said would degrade its economy "for years to come", as he slammed President Vladimir Putin in unusually personal terms.

After Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine, Johnson called him a "dictator" who "will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands".

Downing Street will fly Ukraine's flag and be lit up in the national colours of yellow and blue on Thursday evening, the prime minister's spokesman said.

Protesters waving Ukrainian flags and brandishing placards of support gathered outside Downing Street.

The UK sanctions include freezing the assets of Russian bank VTB and arms manufacturer Rostec, sanctions on five more oligarchs close to Putin including his former son-in-law Kirill Shamalov, and banning Aeroflot from British airspace.

Britain will legislate to prevent the Russian state and entities from raising money in London, and ban the export of "dual-use" equipment that can have military applications.

It will also legislate to limit how much money Russians can hold in UK bank accounts, although the ceiling has yet to be determined.

Long accused of turning a blind eye to Kremlin-backed money flowing through London, the government will accelerate an "Economic Crime Bill", notably to prise open the real ownership of Russian-held assets.

Johnson told parliament the measures were "the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen".

'Blood-Stained Aggressor'


Putin would "stand condemned in the eyes of the world and of history", he added.

"Putin was always determined to attack his neighbour, no matter what we did," he said, calling the Kremlin chief "a blood-stained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest".

Britain had this week already imposed sanctions on five Russian banks and three billionaire businessmen, but was accused of not going far enough.

The new trade sanctions, Johnson said, "will constrain Russia's military industrial and technological capabilities for years to come".

"We cannot and will not just look away," he had said in a televised address to the nation, after phoning Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky just after four am (0400 GMT) as Russian forces moved in.

Johnson summoned his security chiefs for an early meeting in response to the invasion and was due to hold a further crisis session and full cabinet meeting on Thursday evening.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the government had deployed teams to five countries in eastern Europe to support Britons leaving Ukraine.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he had instructed the UK Civil Aviation Authority to ensure airlines avoid Ukraine airspace "to keep passengers and crew safe".

The other Russians sanctioned Thursday by the UK were Pyotr Fradkov, Denis Bortnikov, Yuri Slyusar and Elena Georgieva.

The oligarchs are "people who have international lifestyles", a British diplomatic source said.

"They come to Harrods to shop, they stay in our best hotels when they like, they send their children to our best public (private) schools, and that is what's being stopped.

"So these people are essentially persona non grata in every major Western European capital in the world. That really bites."

Johnson said sanctions would also be extended to Belarus for helping in the invasion, but did not go into detail.

Russia, meanwhile, is due to hold the final of European football's Champions League final in Saint Petersburg on May 28, which governing body UEFA is reviewing.

"I cannot for the life of me see how that can currently go ahead," Johnson told parliament.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×