Liz Truss has said the the West wants to make sure the Russian economy is “crippled” following Vladimir Putin invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference in Lithuania, the foreign secretary said she did not believe the Russian president “speaks on behalf of Russian people”.
She said the goal of sanctions against Moscow was to “degrade” Russia’s finances and ensure “Putin’s war machine” could go no further.
It comes as Russia finds itself increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) opened a war crimes investigation on Wednesday night after the UK and 37 allies referred Moscow over what Boris Johnson described as “abhorrent” attacks.
Truss said: “We need to make sure, as I’ve said, that the Russian economy is crippled so it is unable to continue to fund Putin and the war machine.
“And I suspect that the Russian people will draw their own conclusions from that.”
“This is a struggle not just for Ukraine’s freedom and self-determination, but for all of our freedom and security.
“By continuing to respond with strengths we will together ensure that Putin loses.”
Truss added the West needed to “go further” with economic measures, by including all Russian banks in the ban from the Swift payment system, and reducing dependency on hydrocarbons from Russia.
Earlier, defence secretary Ben Wallace said Russia was likely to be “isolated for decades to come”.
Speaking in Estonia he said the idea of a “normal relationship with the Russian government” was “almost impossible as a result of what we have seen in Ukraine unless president Putin chooses to cease what he is doing now”.