Russia Expands Entry Bans on EU Officials

(MENAFN) Russia has announced restrictions on the entry of several European Union officials in retaliation to the bloc’s 17th and 18th rounds of sanctions, which target individuals and organizations accused of supplying military assistance to Ukraine, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Western nations have imposed an extraordinary series of punitive measures on Moscow.

Just last week, the EU unveiled its 18th sanctions package, concentrating on Russia’s energy and financial sectors.

In response to these so-called “unfriendly actions,” Russia has considerably broadened the roster of people banned from entering its territory, the Foreign Ministry revealed in its official communication.

The expanded blacklist now encompasses representatives of EU bodies, government officials from member countries, and persons from other European nations who are “aligning themselves with Brussels’ anti-Russian policies,” the ministry specified.

The prohibition on entry is directed at European security personnel, advocates of Ukraine, and those accused of threatening Russia’s territorial sovereignty or obstructing its vessels in the Baltic Sea, according to the ministry.

The list also comprises activists and politicians, though no specific names were released.

The EU’s newest sanctions forbid dealings with 22 more Russian banks as well as the Russian Direct Investment Fund, in addition to banning the utilization of the damaged Nord Stream pipelines.

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