New Zealand announced Thursday that it has imposed a new round of sanctions against Russia aiming to curb Moscow’s efforts to evade current restrictions over its war in Ukraine.
“By targeting evasion methods, the government is contributing to the robustness of the sanctions system,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement, describing Russia’s sanctions evasion as “increasingly sophisticated.”
New Zealand said it targeted 61 people and entities involved in buying technology for Russia’s defense industry from countries that include North Korea.
Senior Russian banking executives were also hit by the new sanctions.
New Zealand said it reinforced its ban on exports to Russia and its ally Belarus via third countries.
Additionally, the island nation, which is a major Western ally, implemented a price cap on Russian oil introduced by Australia, the European Union and G7 countries.
New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 1,600 people and entities, including President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has banned dozens of officials and journalists from New Zealand in retaliation to the sanctions.