Roman Abramovich Could Face EU Sanctions Over Crimea, Says David Cameron PA/The Huffington Post Posted: 21/03/2014 15:23 GMT
Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich could be targeted for sanctions over
Russia's annexation of Crimea, David Cameron has hinted.
On Friday afternoon the prime minister warned Russia it faces international isolation and tighter sanctions unless Vladimir Putin takes steps to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine.
He said the European Union had agreed a range of measures in response to Moscow's intervention in Crimea including trade restrictions on the "occupied" peninsula.
The EU has also expand its blacklist of Russian officials and politicians subject to travel bans and asset freezes by 12 names to reach a total of 33.
Asked by reporters during a press conference in Brussels whether he would consider adding Russian oligarchs, including Abramovich, to the sanctions list, Cameron said: "We certainly haven't ruled anyone out from this approach."
"The EU approach, and the way it works under the laws that we have, is that you need to target people who have a direct relationship with the action that has been taken," he said.
Alexei Navalny, a leading Putin critic, told the
New York Times that Europe should target sanctions at the Russian president's "inner circle", including Abramovich, who he described as "the Kremlin mafia who pillage the nation’s wealth".
The 12 individuals added to the EU blacklist include deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin, Putin's adviser Sergey Glazyev and aide Vladislav Surkov, the Speakers of Moscow's lower and upper parliamentary houses Sergei Naryshkin and Valentina Matviyenko, and Russian MP Elena Mizulina, who sponsored proposals to allow regions to join Russia without the agreement of their national authorities.
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