Prime Minister Boris Johnson records an address at Downing Street after he chaired an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the UK response to the crisis in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 in London. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell - WPA Pool /Getty Images

UK’s Johnson orders asset freeze for all Russian banks

World

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would aim to cut Russia off from the U.K.'s financial markets as he announced a new set of sanctions in response to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions include freezing the assets of all major Russian banks, including VTB Bank, the nation's second-biggest bank, Johnson said Thursday. Britain also plans to bar Russian companies and the Russian government from raising money on U.K. markets.

READ MORE: Putin warns that the West shouldn't 'push' Russia out of the global economy

Britain will also ban the export of a wide range of high-tech products, including semiconductors, to Russia and bar the nation's flagship airline, Aeroflot, from landing at U.K. airports.

The slate of sanctions comes days after Johnson was criticized for acting too cautiously in response to Russian aggression earlier this week.

Ukraine's ambassador to the U.K., Vadym Prystaiko, earlier called on world leaders to ban trade in Russian oil and gas and block foreign investment in the country.

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UK’s Johnson orders asset freeze for all Russian banks first appeared on the PBS News website.

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