Lugansk Republic Interior Minister Igor Kornet Also On The U.S. Regime Sanctions List, Only Because Of Defending His People, Right To Self~Determination, How Is This A Crime ?

LPR Interior Minister Major-General Igor Kornet said the sanctions introduced against him by the U.S. Department of Treasury are an attempt to “punish his department for keeping law and order in the Republic.”

“That’s complete misrepresentation: total corruption, setting up illegal paramilitary formations, genocide and conniving rampant crime in Ukraine are worthy of praise, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, whereas keeping law and order, granting and protecting human rights in LPR are a crime.

“I’m somewhat surprised at the official reason behind the U.S. decision to “punish” me, i.e. for performing the duties of LPR interior minister, issuing passports to the population and defending Lugansk Region people’s right to self-determination,” Kornet said in a statement released by the Interior Ministry’s public relations centre.

“That’s complete misrepresentation: total corruption, setting up illegal paramilitary formations, genocide and conniving rampant crime in Ukraine are worthy of praise, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, whereas keeping law and order, granting and protecting human rights in LPR are a crime.

“The Treasury Department’s wording fully distorts the principles and basics of law,” he said.

“Entering my data on the U.S. Department of Treasury sanctions list can elicit nothing but a smile from me,” Kornet said. “They are obviously convinced that their yardstick can measure everybody in the world: money has top value, so it’s best to keep it in western banks.”

“To some extent, I’ve got used to similar delirious statements by Ukrainian officials. But if a U.S. government body acts likewise, it implies that the United States is treading on shaky ground of crimes against humanity,” the interior minister said.

“The accusations of issuing LPR passports are nothing but a recognition of our Republic, even if indirect. I believe Washington expected its statement to have a different effect, but they ended up as always,” Kornet said.

He underlined that it was useless for the United States to intimidate Donbass and its residents with sanctions.

“The Capitol Hill gentlemen should have long realised that their sanctions cannot hurt the people who faced death so many times. We have too many important things to do to pay attention to these trifles”, he added.

Earlier, the Department of Treasury imposed sanctions against a number of LPR officials, including LPR State Security Minister Leonid Pasechnik and acting minister of LPR Council of Ministers Natalia Khorsheva.LPR State Security Minister Leonid Pasechnik