- Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States called on American businesses not to cooperate with Russia.
- Oksana Markarova urged increased sanctions against Russia in response to a "full-fledged unjust war."
- She told ABC's "This Week" that simply boycotting Russian vodka is not enough.
Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States urged American businesses not to cooperate with Russia, amid the ongoing invasion of her country.
Oksana Markarova made the remarks during ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, stating that Russia needs "to clearly see and feel that it's not okay to attack another country, a sovereign country, without any reason." The ambassador also called for increased sanctions against Russia in response to a "full-fledged unjust war."
"I know how hard it is and I know this is a business interest. As the former minister of finance, I understand," she said. "But I think it's time to think about saving reputations and not cooperating with a regime that will end up in the Hague for everything they've done and they're doing now to Ukraine."
Markarova's comment comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a full-scale attack on Ukraine earlier this week, leading citizens to flee their homes. In opposition, American businesses have launched efforts to boycott Russian goods, including several liquor stores in the US and Canada which have removed Russian alcohol from their shelves, according to reports.
As Fox News reported, Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy tapped on the provincial Liquor Control Board to remove Russian products.
"Ontario joins Canada's allies in condemning the Russian government's act of aggression against the Ukrainian people and we strongly support the federal government's efforts to sanction the Russian government," Bethlenfalvy said, according to the outlet. "We will continue to be there for the Ukrainian people during this extremely difficult time."
However, Markarova told "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos that simply boycotting Russian vodka is "definitely not enough."
"It's time to take sides and it's time to take the Ukrainian side because we are defending our home," she said. "We were peaceful. We never planned any offenses. We didn't attack anyone and we were attacked."