EU lifts sanctions off Yanukovych's two allies / Photo from UNIAN

The European Union has officially lifted sanctions off two allies of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych; these are former Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov and former Education Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk.

The relevant information has been posted in the Official Journal of the European Union.

"The Annex to Decision 2014/119/CFSP is amended as follows: (1) in section A ('List of persons, entities and bodies referred to in Article 1'), the entries for the following persons are deleted: Dmytro Volodymyrovych Tabachnyk; Serhiy Hennadiyovych Arbuzov," the EU Council said in its decision of March 4, 2021.

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Read alsoEU Council extends sanctions against Yanukovych, his alliesAt the same time, sanctions remain in force against former President Viktor Yanukovych, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, former Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Ratushniak, former president's son Oleksandr Yanukovych, former prosecutor general's son Artem Pshonka, businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, and former Minister of Revenue and Taxes Oleksandr Klymenko.

In particular, sanctions against Yanukovych and his son, Pshonka and his son, Zakharchenko, Ratushniak, and Kurchenko are extended until March 6, 2022, while those against Klymenko are prolonged until September 6, 2021.

The decision came into force on March 4, 2021.

Background

  • The sanctions were initially introduced on March 6, 2014, against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his government officials for misappropriation of budget funds and human rights violations.
  • The restrictions have been extended on a yearly basis since then.
  • In 2020, the EU decided to lift sanctions off former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and former Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavytskiy (also spelled Stavytskyi).