29 May 2023; MEMO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday submitted a draft bill to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, for the introduction of sanctions against Iran, Anadolu news agency reported citing local media.
The draft bill submitted to the parliament serves to "approve the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine dated 27 May 2023 'on the application of sectoral special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) to the Islamic Republic of Iran'," Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported.
Meanwhile, a local news agency, RBC-Ukraine, reported that the sanctions envisioned against Iran are set to be applied for a period of 50 years and will include restrictive measures such as a complete ban on trade with Iran, as well as stopping the transit of resources, flights and transportation through Ukraine.
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The report also said that the draft bill proposes to prohibit the transfer of technology, rights to objects of intellectual property to Iranian residents and prohibit investments in Iran.
Late Saturday, Zelenskyy announced he approved sanctions against 220 companies and 51 individuals, mainly composed of Russian citizens, from defence industry enterprises and related Russian companies.
"We will continue our sanctions steps, and new sanctions packages are on the way – even more extensive," Zelenskyy said.
Late last year, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran for "providing Russia with drones to use in its war" against his country. Earlier this year, the European Union imposed sanctions "on 7 Iranian companies for the production of drones, which were used by the Russian military in the conflict with Ukraine, including against civilian infrastructure." On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, and to end it, Moscow requires Kiev to abandon plans to join military entities, which the latter considers an "interference" in its sovereignty.
