A sign on Downing Street, LondonLONDON Feb 25The UK will soon impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Downing Street said following a conversation between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and NATO leaders. «The UK will soon impose sanctions on President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in addition to the package of sanctions announced by the UK yesterday,” the message says. Johnson added that the world must be sure that “President Putin will fail in this act of aggression.” He added that «there can be no normalization of relations with Russia after this act,» Downing Street pointed out. Earlier, EU representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell confirmed that restrictions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would among the sanctions discussed on Friday by EU foreign ministers.Johnson called on NATO leaders to urgently take action on SWIFT against RussiaBritain on Thursday introduced new sanctions against Russia in connection with a special operation in the Donbas. The sanctions list includes Rostec, Tactical Missiles Corporation, Uralvagonzavod, KLA and USC. VTB Vice President Denis Bortnikov, Promsvyazbank CEO Petr Fradkov, Sibur shareholder Kirill Shamalov, UAC CEO Yuri Slyusar, and Novikombank CEO Elena Georgieva were subject to personal sanctions. In addition, the British authorities decided to completely freeze VTB's assets, stop Russian companies from accessing loans in the UK market, ban the export of a number of high-tech and critical technical equipment and components, ban Aeroflot flights from and to Russia, and set a limit on bank accounts of Russians at the level of 50 thousand pounds sterling (66.8 thousand dollars). On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which had declared their independence from Kiev back in 2014, and in the early morning of February 24, Russia launched a military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. In a televised address to fellow citizens, Putin said that circumstances “require decisive and immediate action,” as the Donbass republics asked for help. According to the Russian leader, the entire responsibility for the bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, on the evening of February 25, the Russian army disabled 211 military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, including 17 command posts and communication centers, 19 anti-aircraft missile S-300 and Osa air defense systems, shot down six combat aircraft, a helicopter and five drones. In addition, according to the Russian military department, 67 Ukrainian tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 16 multiple rocket launchers, 87 units of special military vehicles were destroyed. 
Russia will respond to sanctions against Putin and Lavrov, Zakharova saidPosted by: David Andriyasov
