Victor Yanukovich
The European Union has extended sanctions against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage for another year. The corresponding statement was published on the website of the EU Council.
The statement said that after the annual revision of the sanctions, it was decided to extend the restrictive measures against seven of the 10 individuals previously included in the sanctions list for a year. The sanctions against one person were extended for a shorter period – until September 6, 2021, and against two more people they were lifted. In this case, the names and positions of the persons mentioned are not named. It is specified that the relevant legal acts will be published in the official journal of the European Union on Friday, March 5.
The fact that the EU plans to extend sanctions against Yanukovych and his entourage became known on Monday, March 1. Then it was reported that ex-Prime Minister Sergei Arbuzov and ex-Minister of Education Dmitry Tabachnik would be excluded from the sanctions list.
For the first time, the European Union included Yanukovych and his entourage in the sanctions list in 2014. The reason for the introduction of restrictions was the criminal proceedings on embezzlement of budget funds. All assets of the former president and his associates abroad were frozen. The Yanukovych family appealed against the sanctions, and in 2015 the EU Council changed the grounds for keeping the names of the defendants on the list.
