The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has approved the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on the imposition of sanctions on Nicaragua.
This was announced during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, which was broadcasted on YouTube.
According to the voting results, 322 MPs voted for the adoption of the draft resolution No.4689 "On approval of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine of February 1, 2021 ‘On the application of sectoral special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) to the Republic of Nicaragua".
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov explained that Nicaragua opened an honorary consulate in Crimea on February 10, 2020. Oleg Belaventsev was appointed as an honorary consul. The official also reminded that Belaventsev was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
"The Republic of Nicaragua did not react to warnings and notes," Danilov said.
As stated in the draft resolution, the list of sanctions is set forth in the relevant decree of the President of Ukraine, but the text of the decree is not published on the website of the Head of State.
On November 10, Ukraine imposed a package of sanctions against Nicaragua over the opening of the honorary consulate in the occupied Crimea. Oleg Belaventsev was appointed as the honorary consul. According to the media reports, he was sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison in Ukraine for participating in the annexation of the peninsula. Earlier, in August, Kyiv sent a note of protest to Nicaragua over the opening of the consulate. The country was then warned of the possible imposition of sanctions.
Nicaragua is one of the countries that regularly do not vote for UN resolutions initiated by Ukraine to recognize Russia as an occupying power due to the annexation of Crimea.