Ukrainian businessman Novinsky has asked Zelensky how he can pay taxes from accounts blocked in Ukraine by sanction

Ukrainian businessman and former Member of Parliament Vadim Novinsky has written a letter to Volodymyr Zelensky and the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine questioning how he can pay taxes in Ukraine when sanctions have been imposed against him and all his accounts in Ukrainian banks have been blocked.

Novinsky published the letter and a commentary on it on his Facebook page.

In the letter, he states:

“I have written a letter to the President of Ukraine, as well as to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and the fiscal authorities. I am a citizen of Ukraine and consider it my duty to pay taxes in my country. In December 2022 and January 2023, the NSDC of Ukraine imposed sanctions against me for my religious beliefs and my loyalty to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to the President’s decree, all my accounts in Ukraine have been frozen. In this situation of legal collision, I am interested in the question: how can I pay taxes?”

Vadim Novinsky’s letter highlights the complexities and challenges that individuals and businesses may face when their accounts are frozen due to sanctions or other legal measures. It raises questions about how individuals in such situations can fulfill their financial obligations while facing restrictions on their assets.

In December 2022, the National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions against Novinsky and several priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The sanctions included asset freezes, bank account blockades, revocation of state awards, and other measures. Novinsky interpreted the imposed restrictions as persecution based on religious beliefs.

In January of this year, Zelensky expanded the previously imposed sanctions against Novinsky. Two additional points were added to the existing sanctions:

• A complete ban on transactions involving securities issued by individuals subject to sanctions.
• Suspension of cultural exchanges, scientific cooperation, educational and sports contacts with foreign states and foreign legal entities.