Russian businesses that pay taxes into the war budget, and Russian oligarchs without whom Putin’s system is impossible to imagine, must feel that there is no place in the world where they can live in peace and quiet for as long as this war continues.

From day one of the war, our partners’ sanctions regimes have been designed to prevent the Russian leadership from promising co-opted businessmen that they will not feel the consequences of the war. Sanctions must continue to work in a way that creates a clear demand from Russian businesses toward the Russian leadership to end the war and its policy of hatred toward Russia’s neighbors and Europe.

When the Ukrainian economy is simply a target for Russia, this is certainly not the time for Europe to treat Russian oligarchs as friends. When Russia uses every euro and dollar to prolong the war, it is both immoral and suicidal to give Russian businesses opportunities to live their lives without feeling the consequences of the war. (2/3)