Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Tuesday, European Union member states officially endorsed the 17th sanctions package against Russia, announced Kaja Kallas, the EU Commission Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs, on social media post.
As reported, the Foreign Affairs Council, alongside Defence Ministers, discussed EU military assistance to Ukraine following an informal videoconference with Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“The EU has approved its 17th sanctions package against Russia, targeting nearly 200 shadow fleet ships,”
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reported on X. She also said that new sanctions also address
“hybrid threats and human rights.”
Stressing that the EU is working on more sanctions on Moscow, Kallas stated,
“The longer Russia wages war, the tougher our response.”
This step occurs as the US indicates a lack of interest in implementing further sanctions against Russia despite Moscow’s rejection of Western-supported ceasefire submissions. Last week, EU ambassadors backed the package, but it has since faced criticism for being weak and diluted.
How will the new EU sanctions impact Russia
As reported by the Kyiv Independent, the updated sanctions focus on individuals within Russia’s military and political elite, as well as foreign entities in China and the UAE, which are charged with aiding the Kremlin in circumventing existing standards.
The European Union plans to impose sanctions on over 20 entities and individuals spreading disinformation, along with 20 judges and prosecutors linked to legal proceedings against Russian opposition figures, particularly Vladimir Kara-Murza and the late Alexei Navalny. Additionally, the package will focus on essential components for Moscow’s defence sector, including chemicals, materials, and dual-use products.
How does this package compare to earlier sanctions?
In February, European Union ambassadors reached an agreement on a 16th round of sanctions against Russia following its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. This package is anticipated to be endorsed by the bloc’s foreign ministers on Monday, coinciding with the third anniversary of the war. EU diplomats indicated that the package encompasses restrictions on Russian banks, initiatives to reinforce the G7 oil price cap, a ban on Russian aluminium imports, and additional export prohibitions.
Energy, commerce, transportation, infrastructure, and financial services are among the systemically significant areas of the Russian economy that are the focus of the 16th package. It also includes additional steps to combat circumvention. Some of the 16th package’s requirements are now replicated in the sanctions system for Belarus in order to reduce the possibility that our penalties will be circumvented.
