The United States, the European Union, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan have announced new sanctions on Russia while Germany halted a major gas pipeline project
These sanctions came after Russian President Vladimir Putin amassed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, according to US estimates, and ordered soldiers into the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions to “keep the peace."
These countries threatened Russia to go further if Moscow launched an all-out invasion on its neighbour.
However, Ukraine’s parliament has voted to approve in the first reading a draft law which gives permission to Ukrainians to carry firearms and act in self-defence.
“The adoption of this law is fully in the interests of the state and society,” the authors of the draft law said in a note, adding that the law was needed due to “existing threats and dangers for the citizens of Ukraine”.
Meanwhile, the US sanctions have targeted Russian elites and two state-owned banks, excluding them from the US banking system, banning them from trading with Americans, and freezing their US assets.
They also seek to deny the Russian government access to Western financing.
The US sanctions applied to VEB bank and Russia’s military bank, Promsvyazbank, which does defence deals.
Russia’s two largest commercial lenders, Sberbank and VTB, would face American sanctions if Moscow proceeded with its invasion of Ukraine, a US official said.
While Germany said it can meet its energy needs without Russian gas, its economy minister said on Wednesday
Germany halted the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline owned by Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom, a move likely to raise gas prices in Europe.
The United States, the European Union, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan have announced new sanctions on Russia while Germany halted a major gas pipeline project
These sanctions came after Russian President Vladimir Putin amassed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, according to US estimates, and ordered soldiers into the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions to “keep the peace."
These countries threatened Russia to go further if Moscow launched an all-out invasion on its neighbour.
However, Ukraine’s parliament has voted to approve in the first reading a draft law which gives permission to Ukrainians to carry firearms and act in self-defence.
“The adoption of this law is fully in the interests of the state and society,” the authors of the draft law said in a note, adding that the law was needed due to “existing threats and dangers for the citizens of Ukraine”.
Meanwhile, the US sanctions have targeted Russian elites and two state-owned banks, excluding them from the US banking system, banning them from trading with Americans, and freezing their US assets.
They also seek to deny the Russian government access to Western financing.
The US sanctions applied to VEB bank and Russia’s military bank, Promsvyazbank, which does defence deals.
Russia’s two largest commercial lenders, Sberbank and VTB, would face American sanctions if Moscow proceeded with its invasion of Ukraine, a US official said.
While Germany said it can meet its energy needs without Russian gas, its economy minister said on Wednesday
Germany halted the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline owned by Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom, a move likely to raise gas prices in Europe.
