Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has urged world powers to enforce stricter sanctions on Russia, including an oil embargo and complete withdrawal of foreign companies, in light of its invasion. 

On Monday, Mr Zelensky addressed the World Economic Forum at its Annual Meeting 2022 in Davos-Klosters, noting the daily death toll in Ukraine.  

“All trade with the aggressor should be stopped. All foreign businesses should leave Russia so that your brands are not associated with war crimes. So that your offices, bills and goods are not used by war criminals in their bloody interests. Values must matter,” Mr Zelensky said.

“This is what sanctions should be. They should be maximum, so that Russia and every other potential aggressor that wants to wage a brutal war against its neighbour clearly knows the immediate consequences of their actions,” the Ukrainian leader added.

In the video address, Mr Zelensky demanded a full oil embargo, the removal of Russian banks from the global financial system SWIFT, and a worldwide ban on trade with Russia.

Since the invasion on February 24, world powers like the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union rolled out batches of sanctions to stifle Russia’s economy and persuade President Vladimir Putin to drop out of the war. 

In April, Australia targeted 14 Russian enterprises of strategic and economic importance to Russia, including defence-related entities such as truck maker, Kamaz, and shipping companies SEVMASH and United Shipbuilding,

New Zealand also announced sanctions targeting 18 entities, including Russia’s central bank, sovereign wealth fund and the largest financial institutions.