BRUSSELS, March 7 – The United Kingdom, simultaneously with the EU's decision to impose sanctions on 18 Ukrainians, including former President Viktor Yanukovych, is planning to freeze their assets, conduct an investigation and subsequently return misappropriated funds to Ukraine, the UK government has said in a statement.

Noting that the UK has already sent its experts in financial intelligence, money laundering and tracing criminal assets to Kiev to help Ukraine recover misappropriated assets, the British government recalled that in parallel, EU sanctions that impose an asset freeze on 18 Ukrainians suspected of misappropriating state funds came into effect on March 6.