New Sanctions Up vs Russia Over War Crimes In Ukraine

Some European Union (EU) governments are pushing for the bloc to quickly impose new sanctions in response to multiple reports that Russian troops executed unarmed civilians in Ukrainian towns, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions, Alberto Nardelli reported for Bloomberg News.

Photo Insert: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the ground assessing the damage wrought by Russian attacks. He told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that his citizens “are being destroyed and exterminated.”

The European Commission was already honing measures that would mostly focus on closing loopholes, strengthening existing actions -- such as export controls on technology goods and fully sanctioning banks already cut off from the SWIFT global payments system -- and expanding the list of sanctioned individuals.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday it had documented several cases of apparent war crimes committed by Russian forces, including summary executions.

“The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe, and Central Asia HRW director. “Rape, murder, and other violent acts against people in the Russian forces’ custody should be investigated as war crimes.”

Some EU nations argue there is now a trigger for even more penalties to be put in place with speed, with Ukrainian officials reporting evidence of war crimes committed by Russian troops in northern areas, according to a diplomat familiar with the discussions.

There is not yet a consensus on all the details for a new package, or when to implement it, even as the bloc’s executive arm seeks in the meantime to put forward a set of corrective measures as early as this week.

A small number of member states, including Germany, are opposed to sanctioning Russia’s energy sector, its maritime trade, and other key industries, and EU sanctions require unanimous support. The question for EU members is what actions would spur a fresh and fuller set of sanctions.

Some continue to argue that such measures should only be explored if Russia were to use chemical weapons or capture a major city, three diplomats said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private.

Other states say the reported events in places like Bucha, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv, are enough to warrant action. Countries like France and Germany were quick to condemn the reported actions in Bucha, while Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said a fifth round of “strong EU sanctions” should come as soon as possible. Ukraine has accused Russian soldiers of killing unarmed civilians, with officials saying they found hundreds of bodies in Bucha after Russian troops left.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, posted photos on Twitter of dead people, some with their hands tied behind their backs. Zelenskiy said Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine, telling CBS’s “Face the Nation” that his citizens “are being destroyed and exterminated.”

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