and Defense Council of Ukraine imposed sanctions on Kozak. The reason for the sanctions against Kozak were an investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine that found that coal supply schemes from the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic helped finance terrorism. As part of these sanctions the television channel owned by him (NewsOne, 112 Ukraine and ZIK) were forbidden to broadcast in Ukraine. The channels were immediately shut down but continued to livestream their content on the internet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that banning the channels had been a difficult decision and that Ukraine supported freedom of speech but not "propaganda financed by the aggressor country." Adviser of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak stated in Ukrainian media that the channels were “quite actively and often openly used as tools of foreign propaganda in Ukraine.” In a joint statement 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZiK commented on their banning: "We regard this decision...as a political reprisal against objectionable media." Russian Senator for United Russia Aleksey Pushkov claimed that "By shutting down opposition television channels, Zelensky acknowledged his inability to withstand political competition." In a written statement the spokesperson of EU's Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell stated "while Ukraine's efforts to protect its territorial integrity and national security, as well as to defend itself from information manipulation are legitimate" it added that "any measures taken should be proportional to the aim". The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine released a statement on 3 February 2020 that stated "The United States supports Ukraine’s efforts yesterday to counter Russia’s malign influence, in line with Ukrainian law, in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity." Medvedchuk and Kozak were reported to keep funds in Belarusian banks controlled by business associates of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Aliaksei Aleksin and Mikalai Varabei. They also have common business interests. Criminal prosecution and sanctions On 11 May 2021, Kozak and Medvedchuk were named as suspects for high treason and the illegal exploitation of natural resources in Ukraine's Russian-annexed Crimea. Two days later Medvedchuk claimed in court that Kozak could not have accompanied him (in court) because he (Kozak) was receiving medical treatment in Belarus. On 20 May 2021 the Security Service of Ukraine received permission to detain Kozak. On 20 January 2022, against the backdrop of mounting tensions over Ukraine, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Kozak along with three other Ukrainian nationals.