Title: Zelensky: Our Partners Have Eased Sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized today, Friday, the role of what he called his country’s "allies" for easing sanctions imposed on Russia and called for a renewed effort to impose more punitive measures on Moscow. In his evening video address, he stated, "At this time, we see a prolonged halt from our partners regarding sanctions... and very active Russian attempts to evade sanctions." He added that continuing pressure on Moscow should focus on the Russian energy sector, access to microelectronics, and its financial sector. He continued, "There are three priorities: to impose more sanctions on the Russian energy sector, to impose real restrictions on supplies to terrorists of chips and microelectronics in general, and to continue closing the Russian financial sector." He stated, "The global sanctions campaign must be resumed." Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko mentioned that Ukraine rejected any proposal to ease sanctions against Russia in the efforts to restore the UN-backed grain shipping agreement across the Black Sea. Nikolenko wrote on Facebook: "Easing part of the sanctions regime against Russia in exchange for resuming the grain agreement would represent a victory for Russian blackmail in the food sector and a call for Moscow to new waves of extortion."