EU Adopts New Sanctions Package Against Russia

12/16/2024 10:04:55 AM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- EU Foreign Ministers adopted on Monday the 15th package of restrictive economic and individual measures targeting Russia, aiming to reduce its ability to continue its war against Ukraine.
In a statement, the EU said that these measures were designed to address attempts to circumvent previously imposed European sanctions, as well as to "reduce the capacity of Russia's war machine and those who support this war, including Chinese companies."
The statement added that these actions reflect the unity of EU member states in their ongoing support for Ukraine, emphasizing that the EU will continue to stand by Ukraine "on all fronts: humanitarian, economic, political, diplomatic, and military."
The new package includes decisions concerning 84 individuals and entities whom the EU holds responsible for actions that undermine or threaten Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The EU imposed sanctions on "the military unit responsible for the attack on the Okhmadyt children's hospital in Kyiv, senior executives in major energy companies, individuals responsible for the deportation of children, propaganda, and circumvention of sanctions, as well as two senior North Korean officials."
On entities, the EU primarily targeted "Russian defence companies and shipping companies responsible for transporting crude oil and its products by sea, providing significant revenues to the Russian government. A chemical plant and a Russian civil airline providing important logistical support to the Russian military were also listed."
The statement clarified that for the first time, the EU imposed "comprehensive sanctions (travel bans, asset freezes, and prohibitions on providing economic resources) on certain Chinese companies supplying components for drones and microelectronic components to support Russia's war against Ukraine."
The sanctions also targeted new vessels, banning them from accessing ports and benefiting from a wide range of services related to maritime transport. According to the statement, these measures aim at "part of Putin's shadow fleet that circumvents the oil price cap mechanism, supports the Russian energy sector, or ships military equipment for Russia or engages in transporting stolen Ukrainian grain. This raises the total number of vessels listed in the sanctions to 79."
The said the European Council added 32 new entities to the sanctions list, which "will be subject to stricter restrictions on the export of dual-use goods and technologies, as well as goods and technologies that could contribute to enhancing the capabilities of Russia's defense and security sector. Some of these entities are located in third countries, such as China, India, Iran, and Serbia."
In return, the EU extended the deadlines for certain exceptions related to European companies' dealings with Russia, urging them to "exit the Russian market as swiftly as possible". (end)
arn

MENAFN16122024000071011013ID1108998100

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.