Ukraine Invasion: US, EU Sanctions Cannot Stop Russia, Ambassador Tells Western Nations

Russia has continued its aggression on Ukraine despite threats of more sanctions by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom and others.

On Friday, Ukraine Interior Minister, Anton Gerashchenko, disclosed that Russian air and ground armies shelled residential buildings in Starobelsk and its capital, Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have also revealed that 137 civilians and military operatives have died and about 316 persons injured since Russia’s military operation in Ukraine on Thursday.

Amid the conflict, Russia’s Ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, on Friday, has advised the host country and Western nations not to think that its economic sanctions, led by the US, will stop Putin from carrying out his directive in Ukraine.

“The Russian side has repeatedly said that Western sanctions are completely useless in this situation, they will not have an impact on either Russia or on resolving a wider crisis within the framework of the European security,” he said as tweeted by the Russian Embassy in Canada.

In the immediate, the situation is disappointing for Ukraine’s President, Zelenskyy, who was forced to put a phone call across to Putin on Thursday, following devastations caused by Russia’s aggression.

He said Putin did not pick the call, adding that Russians should help out in calling him to order and that his allies should do more in stopping the invasion of his country.

He also denied planning to attack separatists in Donbass as alleged by Putin.

“Today, I initiated a phone call with the president of the Russian Federation. The result was silence. Although there should really be silence in the Donbas.
“This is why I want to appeal today to all the citizens of Russia. Not as president. I am appealing to Russian citizens as a citizen of Ukraine,” he said in his address.