The Council of the European Union has extended certain sanctions for a year taken by the EU against a number of former Ukrainian officials, who are considered responsible for embezzling government funds.
“On March 3, 2017, the Council expended until March 6, 2018 the decision to freeze the accounts of 15 individuals accountable for the illegal embezzlement of Ukrainian state funds or abuse of office resulting in damages to Ukrainian state assets. One individual has been removed from the list,” the Council’s press release says.
According to media reports, former MP from the Party of Regions, businessman Yuriy Ivaniuschenko was removed from the list.
Specific measures, including travel bans to the EU, and frozen accounts in European banks, involving persons are on the so-called black list. Ex-president Viktor Yanukovych and his eldest son Oleksandr Yanukovych are included, as well as ex-PM Mykola Azarov and other former top officials, as well as well-known former Ukrainian politicians.
As earlier reported, sanctions against Yanukovych and his accomplices were introduced in March 2014 and extended twice, in March 2015 and in March 2016.
