Sandu's Kyiv visit and US sanctions on Ukrainian figures
A look back at 13 January 2021, as a new Moldovan president's first trip abroad and US sanctions on Ukrainian politicians shaped the preceding days.
What was shaping Ukraine's political agenda on 13 January 2021? Two developments from the days just before it set the tone: a high-profile visit from Moldova and American sanctions on Ukrainian figures.
On 12 January 2021, Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived in Ukraine on her first foreign visit as president. Both countries said they were willing to join the Three Seas Initiative and the European Union.
A day earlier, on 11 January 2021, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on seven Ukrainian politicians, among them Oleksandr Dubinsky, Kostiantyn Kulyk and Oleksandr Onyshchenko. Four media outlets were also targeted: Era-Media, Only News, NabuLeaks and Skeptik. The measures were linked to interference in the US presidential election and participation in a Russian foreign influence network.
