Here is his platform: “On November 4, illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia imploded. To support its faltering war effort, the Kremlin announced the conscription of 318,000 civilians. This mobilization did not have the desired effect. Hundreds of thousands of terrified Russians immediately fled the country to avoid being thrown into a bloody war.
On the day of the announcement, the horror of war seemed far removed from the concerns of tourists strolling Place Vendôme in Paris, or spectators of a Championship football match, English league 2. Among them, Alexandra and Mikhail Maniovitch, the children of Timur Ivanov, Russian Deputy Defense Minister, who had left Russia several months ago. No one seemed to care that their father was waging one of the deadliest conflicts in Europe since World War II.
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Ukraine is grateful for the support provided by its Western allies, who see this as a fight for the security of all of us.
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Since the Russian invasion of February 2022, Ukraine has been grateful for the support provided by its Western allies, who see this as a fight for our security, for democracy and for our children. However, the carefree life rightly led by the children of Timur Ivanov demonstrates the flaws in the current system of sanctions.
In a war where aggressors are raping, murdering and torturing thousands of innocent Ukrainians, Europe’s “open door” policy towards the Russians should be questioned. European leaders should ask themselves if the Russians – who still overwhelmingly support their government – can continue to enjoy the privilege of being so free in Europe.
Of course, all is not gloomy. Let’s take stock of a year 2022 where everything changed: when the Russia invaded my country, its leaders were surprised by the determination of Ukraine and its Western allies. The Ukrainian army, its volunteers and the Ukrainian people fought with unparalleled heroism. Russia has been confronted with a Western unity on the military level, but also economically with the implementation of targeted sanctions.
Yet the impact of these measures has been mitigated by revenues from Russian oil and gas, as well as loopholes allowing some individuals and companies to circumvent the sanctions.
Many examples bear witness to these flaws. Last July, among other cases, a tanker belonging to Vladimir Lissine, a Russian steel and energy magnate whose fortune is estimated at 24 billion euros, transferred its cargo to a ship flying the Maltese flag and belonging to a Greek company. The latter then unloaded its cargo in the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi. Vladimir Lissine’s activity is not limited to oil: he also supplies steel through his steel company to Russian companies manufacturing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that attack Ukraine. Despite this, no country, apart from Australia, has yet sanctioned Vladimir Lissine.
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Sanctions against individuals must be extended and more severe
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At the beginning of 2023, we must organize a summit dedicated to sanctions in order to coordinate responses to the challenges we face. Many innovative solutions have been presented in this regard in recent months.
First, Western countries should move from piecemeal sanctions to a systemic regime to minimize their circumvention. In addition, we must put in place a strengthened and more collaborative system between Western countries which will include a unified list of offenders and sanctions, and a system for evaluating them. Finally, sanctions against individuals must be extended and more severe. Oligarchs should no longer be able to hand over their property to their children or other family members in order to escape.
The Russian war against Ukraine is a conflict that will shape the 21st century. This fight must be won and cannot be fought on the cheap. If Russia wins, the security of the West and the international order it promotes will be destroyed.
We can either defeat Russia now by applying full-scale sanctions and increasing military support for Ukraine, or prepare to defeat it later in a more intense war, which will cost the global economy far more. and democracies around the world. »