US envoy describes sanctions against Russia as "effective tool"

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has said that sanctions are a very important tool and they can be very effective as we're seeing in Russia.

The ambassador was asked a question about the list of 15 persons published on the website of the National Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine, which includes persons who have not been sanctioned yet and 12 of whom are Georgian citizens, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, Interpress News reported on September 6. 

“We weren't involved in developing these sanctions that were recently announced, so I don't have any information on that. I can say that sanctions are a very important tool and they can be very effective as we're seeing in Russia and as we will continue to see in Russia over the coming months, as the sanctions that the world has imposed against Russia continue to take effect. The United States doesn't preview our sanctions policies. We don't announce them until they're imposed," Degnan said.

According to media reports, the National Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine included the following persons in the list of persons to be sanctioned: Bidzina Ivanishvili, Aleksandre Ivanishvili, Ketevan Kharaidze, Giorgi Kapanadze, Ucha Mamatsashvili, Tite Mamatsashvili, Irakli Rukhadze, Aleksei Poltavchenko, Vano Chkhartishvili, Davit Khidasheli, Sulkhan Papashvili, Dimitri Korzhev, Dimitri Troitsky, Levan Vasadze and Otar Partskhaladze.