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EU Greenlights 11th Sanctions against Russia in Response to Ukraine Situation

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EU Greenlights 11th Sanctions against Russia in Response to Ukraine Situation

In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, European Union governments reached an agreement to impose an 11th package of sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The primary objective of these sanctions is to prevent other nations and companies from evading the existing measures that have been put in place. The move reflects the EU’s determination to address the ongoing crisis and send a strong message regarding the consequences of Russia’s actions.

As EU president, Sweden announced the implementation of a new package of sanctions via a tweet. This package specifically prohibits the transit of an extended range of goods and technology through Russia, which could potentially support Russia’s military or security sectors. Diplomats highlighted a significant addition to these measures: the ability to impose restrictions on the sale of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to third countries that might later sell them to Russia. The names of such countries can be included in an annex of the EU sanctions regulation, requiring unanimous agreement from all 27 member states.

EU officials have expressed persistent concerns regarding the increasing demand for European Union products from neighboring countries of Russia, such as Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and China. The justification provided by Moscow for its military involvement in Ukraine portrays it as an existential conflict aimed at safeguarding its own security. Meanwhile, Russia accuses the West of engaging in an aggressive campaign to cripple its economy and diminish its influence.

The latest EU package entails the continuation of the suspension of EU broadcasting licenses for five Russian state-controlled media outlets. Furthermore, in a bid to address the practice of loading Russian crude oil or petroleum products onto ships at sea, the package introduces a ban on access to EU ports for vessels involved in ship-to-ship transfers if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the cargo originated from Russia.

As part of the package, an additional 71 individuals and 33 entities have been included in the list of individuals prohibited from entering the EU, with their assets frozen. This action is a response to their involvement in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The agreement, which has been under discussion since April, experienced delays due to objections raised by Hungary and Greece.

In a recent development, Ukraine took the step of removing the five Greek shipping companies from its designated list, which resulted in gaining the support of Athens for the sanctions package. While Hungary supported the new sanctions, it acknowledged that its OTP bank remained on Ukraine’s list. However, Hungarian diplomats indicated that they would revisit the issue during the EU’s discussion concerning a fresh allocation of funds for Ukraine from the European Peace Facility.

Germany initially hesitated to support the package due to a contentious matter concerning the inclusion of eight Chinese companies in the draft. The EU suspected that these companies were involved in the sale of Russian goods that could potentially aid Russia in its military activities. The leaked names of these companies in early May sparked discussions between the European Commission and China at a senior level. Following these exchanges, diplomats revealed that Beijing committed to exerting pressure on these companies to cease their activities

Consequently, five out of the eight Chinese companies were removed from the list. The remaining three companies, which are registered in Hong Kong and have limited recognition, raised suspicions of having Russian ownership, according to diplomats.

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