New Zealand slaps new sanctions against Russia after US move
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Ukrainian air defence shooting down a drone above Kyiv during an attack on its capital on Aug 8, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
PHOTO: AFP
WELLINGTON – New Zealand announced more sanctions targeting individuals and entities supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, following the passage of a new Bill in the US Senate targeting Russia’s oil and gas revenues.
The sanction package – New Zealand’s 36th round against Russia – targets 33 individuals and entities with a particular focus on cyberactors, as well as those involved in the forced relocation, abduction and re-education of Ukrainian children, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Aug 8, without elaborating on the measures.
“Children should never be used as instruments of war,” said Peters. “New Zealand remains deeply concerned by efforts to abduct and re-educate Ukrainian children through coercive state-directed programmes.”
The announcement by New Zealand follows a move overnight by the US Senate, passing a sweeping new Bill authorising tariffs on China, India and other top buyers of Russia’s oil and gas.
Since March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on over 2,000 individuals, entities and vessels, alongside a range of trade measures, according to the release. Bloomberg
