ABSTRACT
First, it should be clarified that we use the term countermeasure mechanism as we consider it the broadest and most appropriate term, especially in the context of national measures; that is, measures that are carried out by individual states. At the same time, the mechanism for countering Russian aggression against Ukraine includes a wide and quite comprehensive system of sanctions (enforcement measures and restrictive measures) 1 at the international and European levels (the United Nations [UN], the European Union [EU] and the Council of Europe) in various fields, primarily economic (such as asset freezes, travel bans, arms embargoes and restrictions on financial transactions), as well as a system of so-called autonomous (unilateral, decentralised and smart/targeted) 2 sanctions that are applied by individual states at the national level. In fairness, it should also be noted that in international law, there is no one right answer and a certain inaccuracy around the very definition of the term sanctions, their content, types and justification for the legitimate subjects of their imposition.
