Zelensky approves sanctions against ex-President Poroshenko

MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - Ukrainian authorities have imposed sanctions on five individuals, including the country's former President Pyotr Poroshenko, who has accused incumbent President Vladimir Zelensky of carrying out "political purges".

Zelensky signed a decree approving the February 12, 2025 decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to introduce personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions), Ukrainian media said on Thursday, citing the presidential website.

These sanctions target businessman Igor Kolomoisky, former Finances and Credit Bank owner Konstantin Zhevago, former PrivatBank co-owner Gennady Bogolyubov, ex-President and European Solidarity Party leader Poroshenko (added by the Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service to the list of persons involved in extremist activities and terrorism), as well as former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk.

The sanctioned individuals will be stripped of their state awards, their assets will be frozen, their trade operations will be restricted, and the transit of their resources and their flights and other travel across Ukraine will be stopped fully or partially.

In addition, the NSDC decision bans these people from taking their capital out of Ukraine, participating in privatization, leasing state-owned property to residents of foreign states and buying land plots.

Poroshenko, for his part, described these measures as criminal and accused Zelensky of "political purges".

"There are many accomplices to this crime: the entire Zelensky team, the cabinet, which was pressured into participating in this absurd show, the members of his NSDC who quietly raised their hands", but "it is Zelensky himself who ordered, executed and signed it," Ukrainian media quoted Poroshenko as saying in a video address.