The European Union (EU) reached a political agreement this Wednesday to impose a new round of sanctions against Russiathe thirteenth since it invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which will be formally approved on the second anniversary of that conflict and which includes the largest group of those sanctioned in a single batch and also Chinese companies.
The current Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU reported through the social network
In total, 194 names will join the sanctioned list, diplomatic sources told EFE, so it will have more than 2,000 members.
This is the largest number of designations made so far in the same round of sanctions.
They are mainly people related to the Russian military network, judges, authorities in occupied areas – especially linked to the deportation of children – and companies that have participated in the supply of weapons.
The restrictive measures consist of freezing the assets they may have in the EU and prohibit their access to community territory.
Sectoral sanctions focus on combating sanctions circumvention.
It has been decided to add 27 new entities to the regulation that prohibits the export of dual-use goods (civil and military).
Up to 17 are from Russia and ten from other countries: four from Chinaone from Turkey, one from Thailand, one from Kazakhstan, one from Serbia, one from Sri Lanka and one from India.
They are above all firms that participate in procurement networks for components of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones that end up in the Russian military complex and, subsequently, on the Ukrainian battlefield.
“With this package, we take further action against entities involved in circumvention and the military and defense sectors,” stated in X the high representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell.
For her part, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyensaid on the same social network that “we must continue to degrade Putin’s war machine.”
“Russia is paying for its actions. The 13th package of EU sanctions agreed today will further undermine the Kremlin’s arsenal production and fragment its war coffers. the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said in X.
Hungary, which questions the usefulness of imposing sanctions, has until now vetoed the approval of the new package, on which the other 26 member states had already reached a consensus last week, other diplomatic sources noted.
In recent days, however, there were signs that Budapest would not oppose the new round of restrictive measures and it was finally agreed today by the ambassadors of the Twenty-seven quickly and without debate, although with a declaration from Hungary.
On the other hand, the European ambassadors agreed today to renew the current sanctions regime against Russia.
And they held an extensive debate on the reform of the European Peace Support Fund (EFAP), an instrument through which EU Member States are obtaining reimbursements for the weapons and ammunition they send to Ukraine.
Countries like Germany want to prioritize bilateral cooperation with kyiv instead of making million-dollar contributions to the fund, which is not funded by the community budget but by contributions from the Member States.
Diplomatic sources assured that the fund as such is not questioned and that it is an important tool that must be preserved, and pointed out that all member states believe that they must reach an agreement in March, before the European Council.
Source: Gestion

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