More than 20 million people demand: sanctions on Putin now!

28/02/22

This is the letter we sent to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

We are writing on behalf of a global network of national grassroots campaigning organizations from 19 countries with over 20 million supporters worldwide and a track record full of people-powered victories. We urge you to put the most severe sanctions on President Putin, his parliamentarians and military leadership in response to their invasion and upheaval of Ukraine.

In light of the true danger all of our societies are facing, Putin and his supporters must carry very high costs for the invasion of Ukraine. We believe that small steps are no longer the solution and will not protect the people of Europe and the world from war. Only the harshest sanctions against those responsible can bring the hope of de-escalation and peace.

We urge you to especially take sanctions which will target Putin and the oligarchs responsible for the invasion while remaining in solidarity with the Russian civil society. The certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline should be decisively stopped and urgent plans be made to invest in renewable energies. SWIFT accounts of Putin’s friends, allies and their business interests must be terminated. Finances and services must be cut off to all key individuals (and their families) who stand behind Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine. Other export control measures must also be put in place in order to discontinue Russia’s leadership’s ability to import key goods.

We have just witnessed a failure of diplomacy. If you do not seriously approach sanctions and put Peace as the primary interest of our nations, the future of Europe and the world is at risk.

Raluca Ganea, Executive Director of Zazim, Israel

Karolina Skowron, Executive Director of Akcja Demokracja, Poland
Andreas Freimüller, Executive Director of Campax, Switzerland

Robin Zachari, Executive Director of Skiftet, Sweden

Mate Varga, Executive Director of aHang, Hungary

Tudor Bradatan, Executive Director of Declic, Romania

Maria Mayrhofer, Executive Director of #aufstehn, Austria

Matthew McGregor, Executive Director of 38 Degrees, United Kingdom

Audrey Landon, Executive Director of ~ le mouvement, France

Jurjen van den Bergh, Executive Director of DeGoedeZaak, The Netherlands

Felix Kolb, Executive Director of Campact, Germany