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Austrian politician wants Ukrainian oligarchs sanctioned — Analysis

Martin Graf claims wealthy tycoons finance nationalist militants.

Austrian MP calls for sanctions to be imposed on Ukrainian oligarchs by the EU. These he says are real perpetrators of the current military conflict between Kiev & Moscow. Martin Graf described the bloc’s current policy on Ukraine deeply flawed.

“I demand that the EU authorities impose sanctions on Ukrainian oligarchs: Seize their yachts, assets and other property and use these funds to help Ukrainian refugees and to offset the losses suffered by the EU citizens due to sanctions [on Russia],”On Monday, he posted on Facebook a lengthy message that featured extracts from an interview.

Graf represents FPO, the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria. He claims that the oligarchs have been murdered. “sucked Ukraine dry”And “consistently funded” regime changes in Kiev with little regard for the consequences of political turmoil on the country’s economy and society.

These were the same people he said, and they had “bought”The right to make whatever they like, and are currently funding Ukrainian nationalists. In addition, the MP said that the oligarchs have “lost touch with reality”And “led Ukraine into war.”

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Graf said he supports the EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs but wondered why Brussels had not made a similar move against Ukrainian tycoons, particularly since it’s the Ukrainian people and the people of Europe who are paying the price for what these people had done.

“These people should be punished for everything they have done to Ukraine and to the whole world now,”Graf claimed. Graf also claimed that the EU had allegedly condoned the acts of Ukrainian oligarchs, allowing them to. “enjoy their lives in Europe.” 

“If there are no sanctions against Ukrainian oligarchs, this would de facto [serve] as evidence of corruption in the highest ranks of the EU,”According to the Austrian MP,

Graf served as the third president of the National Council – the lower house of the Austrian parliament – between 2008 and 2013. Graf is not a stranger to controversy. He was charged with having links to far-right extremists. His parliamentary immunity was even lifted in 2009 after he was accused of embezzlement. However, he was not charged and the investigation was stopped.

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In 2019, his FPO party was also under fire for its links to Russia. It signed a cooperation agreement with United Russia – a major Russian party, which is considered to be traditionally supportive of President Vladimir Putin’s policies.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. These protocols, which were brokered by France and Germany, were signed for first time in 2014. Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”

In February 2022 the Kremlin acknowledged the Donbass republics to be independent states. They demanded Ukraine declare its neutrality and refuse any Western military alliances. Kiev claims that the Russian offensive wasn’t provoked.

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