France Pushes 22nd EU Sanctions Package as Listings Hit 4,600
(MENAFN) France is demanding that the European Union ready a fresh round of sanctions against Russia within weeks, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday, as the bloc works to keep up the squeeze on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
Arriving at an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Barrot said:
“We want all this to continue. That is why we are calling for the preparation, in the coming weeks, of a 22nd package of sanctions.”
The most recent package added 1,600 listings aimed at Russian individuals and entities tied to the country’s military-industrial complex, he said. That lifts the number of EU designations since the invasion began from 3,000 to 4,600.
Barrot presented the measures as a sustained strategy to tighten pressure on Moscow.
“These are measures that contribute to increasing the cost Vladimir Putin pays for this colonial and imperialist war, which must absolutely stop.”
He insisted the sanctions are working and have cut into the funds Russia could have channeled into its military campaign.
“Have the sanctions worked? Yes, they have deprived Vladimir Putin’s Russia of the equivalent of €500 billion ($580 billion) in resources that would otherwise have been poured into this war.”
The minister said that sum equals more than three years of military spending.
He stressed that the EU restrictions will stay in place regardless of how other countries deal with Moscow.
“Our sanctions apply and will continue to apply.”
Barrot said the bloc will keep targeting Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, the network Moscow uses to evade sanctions, and announced that France will host an international conference on the issue in Paris this autumn.
“We will continue to exert pressure on the shadow fleet.”
Washington’s ICC sanctions draw sharp rebuke
Barrot also strongly condemned US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which could take effect within six months.
“We want dialogue to begin, particularly between the European Union and the United States, so that the latter can reverse these decisions.”
He warned that Europe is prepared to retaliate if talks fail.
“If that fails, we stand ready to activate the Blocking Statute.”
That is an EU mechanism designed to shield European companies and institutions from certain foreign sanctions.
Barrot called the ICC a “pillar of the architecture of international law” and said the court must be able to operate properly.
Houthi attacks on Saudi capital
The minister further condemned Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia, which he said caused numerous casualties, including a French national who was seriously injured.
“Our teams on the ground, at embassies and consulates, are in close contact with her family and relatives to ensure that they have everything they need.”
“These attacks must stop, because they pose dangers to the region and, more broadly, to the world that we cannot accept.”
Arriving at an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Barrot said:
“We want all this to continue. That is why we are calling for the preparation, in the coming weeks, of a 22nd package of sanctions.”
The most recent package added 1,600 listings aimed at Russian individuals and entities tied to the country’s military-industrial complex, he said. That lifts the number of EU designations since the invasion began from 3,000 to 4,600.
Barrot presented the measures as a sustained strategy to tighten pressure on Moscow.
“These are measures that contribute to increasing the cost Vladimir Putin pays for this colonial and imperialist war, which must absolutely stop.”
He insisted the sanctions are working and have cut into the funds Russia could have channeled into its military campaign.
“Have the sanctions worked? Yes, they have deprived Vladimir Putin’s Russia of the equivalent of €500 billion ($580 billion) in resources that would otherwise have been poured into this war.”
The minister said that sum equals more than three years of military spending.
He stressed that the EU restrictions will stay in place regardless of how other countries deal with Moscow.
“Our sanctions apply and will continue to apply.”
Barrot said the bloc will keep targeting Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, the network Moscow uses to evade sanctions, and announced that France will host an international conference on the issue in Paris this autumn.
“We will continue to exert pressure on the shadow fleet.”
Washington’s ICC sanctions draw sharp rebuke
Barrot also strongly condemned US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which could take effect within six months.
“We want dialogue to begin, particularly between the European Union and the United States, so that the latter can reverse these decisions.”
He warned that Europe is prepared to retaliate if talks fail.
“If that fails, we stand ready to activate the Blocking Statute.”
That is an EU mechanism designed to shield European companies and institutions from certain foreign sanctions.
Barrot called the ICC a “pillar of the architecture of international law” and said the court must be able to operate properly.
Houthi attacks on Saudi capital
The minister further condemned Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia, which he said caused numerous casualties, including a French national who was seriously injured.
“Our teams on the ground, at embassies and consulates, are in close contact with her family and relatives to ensure that they have everything they need.”
“These attacks must stop, because they pose dangers to the region and, more broadly, to the world that we cannot accept.”
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