UK to introduce new sanctions against Russia
The new legislation will allow the sanctioning of banks, energy companies, and "oligarchs close to the Kremlin."
According to Britain's Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, Britain will be introducing new sanctions against Russia this week - a legislation which will sanction banks, energy companies, and "oligarchs close to the Kremlin."
This decision comes a few hours after Britain's announcement that it will be deploying more forces to Estonia in addition to other NATO countries neighboring it.
“We’re going to be introducing new legislation so that we can hit targets including those who are key to the Kremlin’s continuation and the continuation of the Russian regime,” Truss told the Sunday Morning program on BBC.
She continued, “There will be severe costs on an invasion into Ukraine. And we would target Russian financial institutions, we would target energy companies, we will target oligarchs close to the Kremlin."
Furthermore, Britain offered to double the number of troops deployed in eastern Europe - which amount to about 1,150 troops, to "deter the Kremlin from invading Ukraine." This comes at a time when Biden said he won't be deploying "too many" forces to Ukraine - just a few thousand at most."
Truss and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson are expected to be visiting Kiev this week.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Mark Milley, said if the Russian forces amassing on the border were "unleashed on Ukraine, it would be significant, very significant, and it would result in a significant amount of casualties," calling it "horrific" and "terrible".
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday that the possibility of conducting negotiations and peace talks with Russia is still available and that combat troops would not move toward Ukraine in case of a Russian invasion, which Moscow has repeatedly denied, whilst maintaining its right to defend its own security.
“We have no plans to deploy NATO combat troops to Ukraine,” he said, adding later, “There is a difference between being a NATO member and being a strong and highly valued partner as Ukraine.”