Boris Johnson announces sanctions on five Russian banks and three individuals

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he would impose sanctions on five Russian banks with operations in the UK, as well as three high-profile executives.

“The UK is sanctioning the following banks: Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank, as well as three individuals,” Johnson told Parliament. They are Gennady Timchenko, Igor Rotenberg and Boris Rotenberg.

Johnson said it’s time to “prepare” for the next possible steps in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan for Ukraine after Moscow sent Russian forces to two breakaway regions in the east of the country.

“The House must have no doubt that the deployment of these forces on Ukrainian sovereign territory represents a new invasion of that country,” he told the House of Commons, the lower house of parliament.

In addition, Johnson said he expected allied Western countries to also impose financial blockades on Russia, and said he wanted to prevent Russian companies from being able to raise funds in the British and world markets.

“We want to prevent Russian companies from being able to raise funds in sterling or even dollars. We want them to stop raising funds in UK markets and we want to remove the veil that hides ownership of property in this country,” he declared.

“We must now prepare for the next possible stages of Putin’s plan: the violent subversion of areas of eastern Ukraine by Russian agents and their mercenaries, followed by a general offensive by nearly 200,000 Russian soldiers gathered at the borders at the height of readiness to attack. ”, criticized the prime minister.