LONDON, June 18. /TASS/. Ukraine is asking the United Kingdom to impose new sanctions on the Russian Federation, targeting missile manufacturers. Advisor to the office of the President of Ukraine Vladislav Vlasyuk told the Observer weekly that a list of six Russian companies and research institutes, which, according to Kiev, could become targets of Western sanctions policy, has been handed over to the UK government.
"The Observer understands that Ukrainian intelligence reports suggest the rate of production of Russian missiles has doubled in recent months. Ukraine has given the UK government the names of six Russian firms and research institutes involved in missile production which it says have not yet been sanctioned," the newspaper wrote.
Vlasiuk also said Ukraine wanted the UK and other countries "to widen the sanctions against the oligarchy, propagandists and Russian state." "He said the UK government had recently been provided with a list of about 20 business people and propagandists whom the Ukraine government thought should be sanctioned. It also wants more Russian banks added to the sanctions list," according to the Observer.
He also stressed that the UK should follow Canada's lead in introducing new regulations allowing authorities to seize and redistribute assets of sanctioned individuals and entities. The UK government said in March that it had frozen over ·18 bln in Russian assets and was considering seizing them, the Observer noted.
"It must be Russia which is held accountable and must pay. Assets which are here in the UK and other jurisdictions are easily accessible. We would like to see those confiscated and sent to Ukraine for reconstruction," Vlasiuk said.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said that the UK government was actively considering "all possible options for seizing Russian-linked assets in the UK that could be used to remedy the harms caused in Ukraine."
On June 21, a two-day international conference on Ukraine's reconstruction will begin in London, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attending. The entire list of attendees has yet to be revealed, but last year's meeting in Lugano was attended by leaders from more than 40 nations, including Ukraine's Prime Minister Denis Shmygal.