Conditional Sanctions Over Donbas An 'Invitation' To Russian Aggression - Naftogaz

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2021) The proposal of US Sen. Bob Menendez to release a cascade of new sanctions if Russia moves to aggravate the conflict in Donbas looks like an "invitation to military aggression," Yuriy Vitrenko, CEO of Ukrainian energy giant Naftogaz, said on Monday.

Last week, US Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez introduced a measure that would entail a broad range of sanctions against the Russian government if it engages in or supports a significant escalation of hostilities in or against Ukraine.

"This kind of logical construct that now, for example, we hear from... Sen. Menendez is that 'look, we'll have a condition that if there is a full scale war or this military aggression intensifies, then basically there will be sanctions.' It seems like an invitation to an extent for this kind of military aggression," Vitrenko told an Atlantic Council event. "Because first of all, I personally don't believe that it will be easy when there is a military aggression and when it's clear that the gas cannot flow through Ukraine to tell Europeans that 'look, guys, you will also have to stay without Russian gas because the US will sanction Nord Stream 2.

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"Basically, this is kind of an open invitation for Russians to increase stakes in this military aggression," he said. "For Ukraine, it makes us really not comfortable when we see these open invitations for Russia to be more aggressive, again to be in breach with European rules. And again coming back to this kind of logical construct of Sen. Menendez, to us it seems really illogical."

Under the amendment, the US president will determine whether the Russian government is engaged in or knowingly supports a significant escalation in hostilities in or against Ukraine compared to levels before November 1, 2021.

The sanctions would target high-level Russian government and military officials, entities and officials tied to Nord Stream 2, Russian banks, and state-owned businesses.

The measure would also ban Primary and secondary sovereign debt transactions. Moreover, it would authorize additional security assistance for Ukraine.

The amendment was submitted as a part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which the US Senate agreed to begin debating on Friday morning.