Sanctions should remain a key instrument of pressure on Russia to reestablish Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, as stated by Ukrainian and Italian foreign policy experts during a round-table discussion organized by the International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS) together with Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.
The expert discussion - attended by more than 80 diplomats, analysts, and foreign policy experts - was held on Tuesday, January 28, in the Italian capital of Rome.
ICPS international law and human rights expert Anastacia Galouchka, ICPS senior advisor Vasyl Filipchuk, and Scientific Advisor of Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) Stefano Silvestri presented their conclusions on successes and flaws of the sanctioning regime.
According to the ICPS press-release, Italy is one of the difficult spots among the EU countries. Italian companies have made a series of statements regarding serious losses they suffered due to Russian sanctions. Moreover, Italian politicians are constantly calling on to reconsider, soften and even lift the sanctioning regime.
However, the experts illustrated the need to continue sanctions against Russia, as Russia's actions in Ukraine serve as a threat only to Ukraine itself but also to the wider international security. Thus, there needs to be a well-coordinated response.
"Sanctions, as a tool "between wars and words", remain the only way to exercise pressure on Russia's foreign policy, at the same time limiting its destructive potential for international security," said Anastasia Galouchka of ICPS.
ICPS experts have separately noted that an unfair decision of the Italian court on the imprisonment of Ukrainian volunteer, an Italian citizen Vitaliy Markiv, should be reconsidered.