Ukraine intends to initiate the introduction of new international sanctions and it will introduce national sanctions against the Russian Federation due to the appropriation of and sale of Masandra winery in occupied Crimea as Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov reported.
“We possess all documents at open sources (protocols, applications, biographies of the leadership of the so-called ministry in Crimea that organized this process and son on). We are already preparing the sanctions package,” Reznikov stated.
According to the minister, Ukraine will assume measures toward people involved in the holding of the illegal auction. Ukraine will initiate the national sanctions, prosecution, including at the international courts, and appeal to international partners with the request to put guilty in the sanctions list and tightening of sanctions.
Earlier it was reported that the Crimean Masandra winery was sold for $72 million. Yuzhny Proyekt, the subsidiary of Rossiya Bank, became the owner of 100% of stocks.
In March 2014, 131 Crimean companies were nationalized by the regulation of the so-called government of Crimea, including Magarach and Masandra wineries and Novy Svet plant of sparkling wines and many others.
Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, invading the Ukrainian peninsula and holding the illegal referendum; based on its trumped-up results, the Russian Parliament decided to approve the "reunification" of Crimea with mainland Russia. Ukraine, in turn, defined February 20, 2014, as the beginning of the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Western governments and organizations NGOs do not recognize the act of annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.
