Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Russia criticised the European Union’s latest sanctions package, calling it illegal and unlawful.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova briefed journalists during a press briefing in Moscow: “These measures are unlawful and illegal” stating that the sanctions package hit both Russian and foreign economic business and public figures, Zakharova expressed such actions by the European Union continue to harm Moscow.
The latest 15th package of sanctions “essentially poses an additional threat to global, not only ours and Europe’s, but global energy security and the strength of world economic relations. These actions will be examined from the point of view of impairment to the economic interests of our land, and retaliatory measures to the illegitimate anti-Russian activities of the European Union will not be long in coming,” she said.
A day earlier, the European Union approved a 15th package of restrictive measures against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including more stringent measures against Beijing entities and more ships from Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. The latest package includes 52 vessels from the shadow fleet that attempt to avoid Western limitations to move oil, arms and grains, carrying the total index to 79.
The European Union started adding vessels this year in reaction to an expansion in the number of ships transporting cargo that are not controlled or certified by conventional Western providers. The listing contained ships that provided North Korean ammunition to Moscow. Of the 52 ships added, 33 were included for hauling crude oil or petroleum products arising in or exported from Moscow, taking the total number of ships sanctioned for hauling oil to 43.
