Sanctions mechanism is discredited, damaged Ukraine's intl reputation – Poroshenko on anniversary of sanctions against him
Ukrainian MP and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko is convinced that the imposition of sanctions against him a year ago dealt a blow to Ukraine's international reputation and defense capability during a full-scale war.
"If anyone thinks that the unconstitutional and illegal sanctions imposed exactly a year ago were a blow to me personally, they are mistaken... Ukraine has not become stronger because of these sanctions. On the contrary, internal unity has been undermined. International reputation has been damaged. Defense capability has been dealt a blow: illegal restrictions against donor enterprises of my charitable foundation have significantly reduced assistance to the army," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook on Thursday, the anniversary of the sanctions.
He believes that the sanctions mechanism, created to combat Ukraine's enemies, has been "completely discredited." "Sanctions are now not only a tool of crude political pressure and struggle against the opposition, as in my case, but also a dirty business. They can be imposed for money - even without grounds. They can not be imposed for money - even when there are grounds. They can be lifted for money, or simply "forget" to continue. At least five participants in last year's NSDC meeting are persons involved in NABU corruption investigations," the politician explained.
Poroshenko also noted that over the year, the initiators of the sanctions have not named a single fact that would justify them and that "the more the authorities talk about peace and the possibility of elections, the more obvious its desire to use sanctions as a tool to eliminate an opponent.
As reported, on February 13, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of February 12, 2025 "On the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)". According to the appendix to the document, sanctions were imposed against five individuals: Poroshenko, Ihor Kolomoisky, former owner of the bank "Finance and Credit" Konstantin Zhevago, former co-owner of PrivatBank Gennady Bogolyubov, and former People's Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk.
Poroshenko appealed the sanctions in the Supreme Court. On April 17, the court began considering the claim in the presence of people's deputies of Ukraine, as well as diplomats from the European Union mission, representatives of the embassies of Germany, Poland, Austria, Sweden, Lithuania, Denmark. Poroshenko's representatives emphasize that the sanctions were imposed illegally as a citizen of Ukraine who is in the country, while only Russia considers him a "terrorist". Therefore, there are no grounds for sanctions under the law. In December, the court attached to the case file the ECHR decision of October 16, 2025, by which the European Court of Human Rights recognizes that sanctioned persons in Ukraine do not have sufficient opportunity to protect their rights and due procedural guarantees during the judicial review of the decision to apply sanctions.
