Energy exports allow Russia to hope it could get off with its crimes - Zelensky

Ongoing energy exports allow the Russian Federation to expect that the world will ignore its crimes, so a full energy embargo must be introduced against the aggressor.

That’s according to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

The head of state that during his meetings with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell he discussed further steps to force Russia to seek peace.

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“I emphasized that the existing sanctions are not enough. The pressure on Russia must be increased. It is necessary to introduce a full energy embargo – on oil, on gas. It is energy exports that provide the lion's share of Russia's profits and allow the Russian leadership to believe in its impunity. This allows Russia to hope that the world will ignore the war crimes of its army. We will not allow this. Everyone in the world who has the courage, like Ukrainians, to resist tyranny will not allow this,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president added that Russian banks “must also be completely disconnected from the global financial system.”

“Not some of them, but all, the entire banking system of Russia. It is inadmissible that the greatest threat to global security is finding its way to global wealth,” Zelensky emphasized.