Commenting on the sanctions imposed by Russia, Mykhailo Gonchar, President of the Center for Global Studies Strategy XXI said: "With the external chaos of the list, it is logic and it is similar to the pattern of Russia's actions during the"cheese" and "candy" trade wars five years ago. On the one hand, there is the purpose of "sending a signal" to certain businessmen by their presence or absence on the list, for example, it may concern Akhmetov or Firtash. At the same time, sanctions against Ukrainian agrarian giants are aimed at economically sensitive point. When it comes to the Ukrainian chemical industry, after reorganization in 2014-2015, they do not conduct business in Russia. But the "Titanium Investments", which are the subject of management in Russia, did not fall into the sanctions lists. That is, these sanctions will in no way interfere with Firtash's business. Unlike, say, agrarian barons, because Russia knows that in recent years, revenues from agrarian exports seriously filled the treasury of the state and have already outstripped revenues from metallurgy. At the same time, real economic consequences are unlikely to be tangible, and if one of the Ukrainian businessmen, after the events of recent years, has left assets in Russia, "these are their problems."

Another aim of the sanction list is the preparation for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine. "In Russia, they took the modified template of 2013. Someone has been shown a carrot, and someone was punished with a whip. For example, Akhmetov was shown a carrot: you have to show pro-Russian orientation more actively, because you have not yet been listed on, but Kosyuk was given a whip. the fact that they all run to the president to demand reconciliation with Russia, or vice versa, will support a candidate who, after the 2019 March election, will be able to turn the situation in favor of the Kremlin, -Mykhailo Gonchar says.

Source: 24 Channel