Sanctions are a tool to protect national security, but in Ukraine, they are increasingly becoming a substitute for criminal prosecution.

In a new article for Ekonomichna Pravda, Tetiana Khutor, head of the Institute of Legislative Ideas, explains why Ukraine’s current sanctions system requires serious revision. She highlights the danger of applying sanctions to Ukrainian citizens without transparent procedures or the possibility to appeal, creating risks of political abuse and undermining trust in the mechanism itself.

“If a person is in Ukraine, is not hiding from law enforcement, and their actions show signs of a criminal offense, the state should use criminal prosecution tools, not the sanctions mechanism,” Tetiana notes.

In her article, she also emphasizes legislative gaps, the absence of a single sanctions authority, the lack of clarity regarding the consequences for sanctioned individuals, and the need to criminalize the violation of sanctions, as required by the EU directive. Without clear regulation and legal safeguards, sanctions lose their legitimacy and effectiveness.

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