Oct. 31 () –
The New Zealand government announced on Monday the imposition of new sanctions against fourteen individuals and seven Russian organizations for their involvement in the invasion of Ukraine, which began in late February.
The New Zealand Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, has indicated that all of them are related to the Russian Army, as well as “defense structures and paramilitary organizations.”
In a statement, he pointed out that the list of those sanctioned now includes military personnel and “people in charge of disseminating false information”, as well as shareholders of companies that develop and manufacture missiles and weapons.
The country had already extended the sanctions imposed against Russia in mid-October, when it added to its list the names of 51 senior officials of Russian companies and those of 24 people linked to the annexation of Ukrainian territories.
In this sense, Mahuta has asserted that the “illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the continuous acts of aggression” against the territory “can only occur thanks to this extensive military-industrial network, which has numerous protagonists.”
“By sanctioning these individuals, New Zealand makes clear its condemnation of any act that facilitates illegal actions on Ukrainian territory,” he said before assuring that the “continued damage caused against civilian targets is very worrying.”
Likewise, he has emphasized that “the Russian military sector is responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which is a serious violation of International Law.” “New Zealand is concerned about the latest attacks on civilians in cities across Ukraine,” she concluded.
So far, the country has imposed sanctions against more than 1,200 individuals and entities with ties to Russia, while taking unprecedented measures on a commercial level.
