Ukraine's president calls for sanctions to be in line with Russia’s ‘war crimes’

By Rabia Iclal Turan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine’s president said Tuesday that sanctions against Russia must be “commensurate” with the gravity of its “war crimes” following reports of mass killings in the city of Bucha.

Addressing his country in a video posted on his Telegram channel, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “We are preparing a new package of powerful sanctions against Russia for everything it has done to our people.”

Adding that this is a “crucial moment,” especially for the leaders of Western countries, he said: “After what the world saw in Bucha, sanctions against Russia must be commensurate with the gravity of the occupiers’ war crimes.”

“If after that, Russian banks will still be able to function as usual, if after that the EU countries will pay for Russian energy resources as usual, then the political fate of some leaders will develop not as usual.”

Describing Ukraine’s capital Kyiv as the “capital of the struggle for freedom for all of the European continent,” Zelenskyy said the “most difficult situation, as in previous days, is in Donbas, in the Kharkiv direction.”

“We are aware that the occupiers outnumber us and that they have more equipment,” he said.

“But we have no other choice -- the fate of our land and our people is decided. We know what we are fighting for and we do everything to win.”

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,480 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,195 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.24 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.