RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISIS
Australia Imposing Sanctions Against Moscow, “Germany Pays Price”
Canberra/Berlin, Feb 24: Australia is imposing a new set of sanctions against Russia, with further rounds potentially targeting 300 Russian lawmakers, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
“There will be further waves of sanctions as we identify those responsible for these egregious acts, including, as I discussed this afternoon with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, moving on around over 300 members of the Russian Parliament”, Morrison told a press conference.
The “second phase” of adopted sanctions includes punitive measures on additional 25 Russian individuals, including army commanders, defense officials and Russian mercenaries as well as four entities engaged in military production, according to the Prime Minister.
On Wednesday, he announced sanctions against eight members of the Russian Security Council, a ban on cooperation with five Russian banks in addition to restrictions of Australian investments to the Russian state development corporation VEB, the Prime Minister recalled.
The sanctions come as Russia launched military operation in the Donbas region of Ukraine on Thursday in response to requests for help from the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk republics. Moscow said that there was no threat to civilians as the army targeted military facilities and not Ukrainian cities.Â
Sanctions against Russia and falling markets in light of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine will have consequences for Germany as well, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday.
“This war in our immediate neighboring region will have repercussions for us as well. Sanctions against Russia, rising prices, falling markets will have the opposite effect on Germany. We did not look for this situation, but we cannot and will not avoid it. The cute European order of the last decades is the basis for a life of prosperity and peace. If we do not stand up for this now, we will pay an even higher price,” Baerbock said in an address.
