President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top economic adviser has condemned European countries still buying Russian gas and oil, accusing them of aiding war crimes.
In an exclusive interview with the Observer, Oleg Ustenko slammed the lack of an immediate western embargo on Russian imports.
“Whoever supplies Russia with this bloody money is committing the same war crime,” Ustenko said.
He threatened to sue companies doing business with Russia.
“We know the ship’s name, flag, captain, oil volume, price paid for oil, destination port, insurance company,” Ustenko said. “We’ll use this data.” We have more urgent tasks now, but we are watching everyone who does this.
“We believe that if companies commit war crimes, they will be prosecuted and sued.” We’ll find them in a year or ten years.”
Announcing that Kyiv is monitoring firms trading with Russia, Ustenko said the Ukrainian government would sue involved commodity traders and insurers.
In a plea for tougher international sanctions, the economic adviser suggested selling frozen assets.
“People in Europe believe they can help us and are our great friends,” Ustenko said. “But they don’t realise they’re funding Putin’s military machine.” They use it to kill us, as they did in Bucha and elsewhere.”
Ustenko criticised the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock’s announcement last week that Berlin would stop importing Russian oil and gas by the end of 2022.
“The message… was completely unacceptable,” he said.
But weaning Europe off-gas would take longer, according to Ustenko. After the war, put the money in escrow for Russian suppliers.
Ustenko also targeted insurers, global commodity traders, lawyers, and bankers serving Kremlin-aligned oligarchs.
“We have great support, but it’s never enough. “London insures Russian oil tankers,” he said. In other words, we don’t understand and don’t want to see how many Ukrainians must die. It bothers me that we always talk about money in Europe. In Ukraine, it’s about human life.”
A spokesperson for Lloyd’s of London said the company “supports and remains focused on delivering a global sanctions regime against the Russian state, which send an important message that Russia’s invasion of a peaceful country is unacceptable.”
Trafigura, Glencore, Vitol and Gunvor, four global commodity traders still buying and selling Russian oil, told the Observer they will not sign new deals but will honour existing contracts.
Ustenko pleaded in personal letters to major traders to stop doing business with Russia, he said. Some did not respond, while others broke promises to end ties.
Russian oligarchs’ bankers and lawyers should imagine how their families would feel if they were in Ukraine.
“Will you accept it?” If yes, don’t help us. If you think it’s wrong, act immediately. Even if your government doesn’t get it, you do.”
He thinks Ukraine’s defense and postwar reconstruction should be funded by freezing the assets of billionaire oligarchs and the Russian central bank.
“I’m talking about football clubs, nice apartments, houses, and other UK properties,” he said.
[embedpost slug=”/michigan-gop-backs-trump-ag-sos-candidates/”]
