Leonid Volkov: Continue sanctions against Putin

Leonid Volkov, chief of staff to the jailed leader of the Russian opposition Alexey Navalny, said in a special hearing in the Canadian parliament today that the sanctions aimed at Putin must go on.

Volkov, who testified before a parliamentary committee, said that it is important also to impose new sanctions in order to put pressure on the Kremlin, and that the West should focus on personal sanctions against Russian officials and not broad economic sanctions against the country. Personal sanctions, including freezing of assets abroad, are more efficient, Volkov stated.

”Every time Europe try to build bridges, to compromise, to build a dialogue, unfortunately, Putin, in his psychology, considers it to be just a sign of weakness”, Volkov said.