Putin signs decree on sanctions against individuals, entities over Ukraine

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Putin signs decree on sanctions against individuals, entities over Ukraine

A woman walks near the Kremlin in downtown Moscow on April 12, 2020. DIMITAR DILKOFF AFP MOSCOW KYIV Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Tuesday regarding retaliatory sanctions against individuals and entities in response to their unfriendly actions over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The measures will be taken in retaliation to the unfriendly actions of the United States, foreign states and international organizations that aim at illegally depriving Russia, Russian citizens and Russian legal entities of property rights and protecting the national interests of Russia, according to the decree.

The document prohibits carrying out transactions with foreign entities and entities that are subject to sanctions, including completing deals or concluding deals with them. Russia will ban the export of raw materials and products from Russia to those it has sanctioned.

The decree does not provide any details of which individuals or entities could be affected by the measures. Within 10 days, the Russian government was ordered to compile a list of people under sanctions.

Putin urged Western countries to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons during a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Ukraine wants to seize Russia's assets for post-conflict recovery.

Putin told the Kremlin about Russia's efforts in the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol.

The Russian president urged Western countries to stop arming Kyiv, saying Russia is open to dialogue.

Putin stated that Western sanctions against Russia are worsening global food insecurity, in response to Macron's concerns over this issue.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke from Kyiv, Ukraine, April 5, 2022 in a video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, via AP, said on Tuesday that his country may put the issue of neutral status on a nationwide referendum.

The Ukrinform news agency quoted Zelensky as saying that if Russia wants to have Ukraine's neutral status as one of the provisions of the agreements on ending the conflict, we are ready to consider this neutral status for Ukraine.

ALSO READ: Uncovering secrets of NATO: A remnant from Cold War days.

He said that only after Ukraine received security guarantees from specific countries, the referendum would be possible.

In 2014, the Ukrainian parliament renounced Ukraine's non-aligned status with the aim of deepening cooperation with NATO.