Ambassadors of EU countries agreed on Wednesday on a new package of sanctions linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It targets three Chinese firms in particular as part of efforts to avoid circumvention of the measures in place.
“This package is one of the largest approved by the EU,” underlined the Belgian presidency of the European Union. She clarified that it would be formally approved by February 24, the anniversary of the Russian invasion of 2022.
This 13th package of sanctions plans in particular to limit trade by EU companies with three mainland Chinese companies that have supplied the Russian army. It also retains the blacklisting of the North Korean defense minister for having sent missiles and shells to Moscow.
Companies from India, Turkey and Serbia have also been targeted for contributing to the Russian war effort.
“Degrade the war machine”
The EU blacklist includes more than 2,000 people or entities, according to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, for whom the EU is thus maintaining “pressure on the Kremlin”. “We must continue to degrade Putin’s war machine,” she said on X.
The European sanctions provide for a freeze of assets in the EU and a ban on travel to the territory of the Union for the people concerned.
Hungary had for a moment blocked the adoption of this new package of sanctions, but ultimately decided not to veto it. “I think the European Union is making the wrong decision,” declared the head of Magyar diplomacy Peter Szijjarto this week. “It has been proven that these sanctions packages impact Europe much more than the Russian economy,” he added.
This article is originally published on lfm.ch
