Germany demands more sanctions on Russia after the Bucha killings

Germany demands more sanctions on Russia after the Bucha killings. 

After Ukraine accused Russian forces of war crimes near Kyiv, ratcheting up the already massive economic pressure on Russia over its invasion, Germany suggested that the West would agree to impose more sanctions on Russia in the coming days.

After the United States and its allies implemented crippling sanctions in response to Putin’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s economy is the worst state since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

On Sunday, Russia denied that its soldiers were to blame for the deaths of civilians in Bucha, claiming that Ukraine had created a show for the Western media.

Reuters reported seeing bodies sprawled across the village. One appeared to have been shot in the mouth and had his hands wrapped with white fabric. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, accused Russia of genocide. find out more

The West has threatened more sanctions.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “Putin and his followers will feel the repercussions” of their actions in a statement to reporters.

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Christine Lambrecht, Germany’s defense minister, said the European Union should discuss halting Russian gas imports.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has rejected calls for an embargo on Russian energy imports, claiming that its and other European countries’ economies are too reliant on them. Russia provides 40% of Europe’s gas requirements.

The events in Bucha are “unleashing a wave of indignation that will lead to new sanctions,” according to Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who added that “in the next few hours, there could be a debate on the issue of imports of hydrocarbons from Russia,” and that Italy would not veto the fifth package of sanctions.

The US demanded that those guilty of war crimes be held accountable. The UK said that sanctions would be tightened, and France condemned “major atrocities” by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.