EU countries have agreed on the 17th package of sanctions against Russia. The sanctions, which will be formally adopted on Tuesday, will target Russia's shadow fleet. This is to limit Russia's war economy. The news agency AFP writes.
Russia's shadow fleet is the name for oil tankers that transport Russian oil and are subject to sanctions. The new sanctions were already in the pipeline in April, and they come while Russia is so far blocking the 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine has already agreed to. It is therefore expected that the EU will try to escalate the sanctions to put pressure on Russia in the peace talks.
At a meeting of foreign ministers in April, the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that the goal was to have the new sanctions ready in May, targeting the shadow fleet. In this connection, she stated that oil is one of the areas that will hit Russia's economy.
- I think we should act as harshly as possible, said Kaja Kallas at the foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg in April.
Danish support
At the same meeting, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) supported a new sanctions package.
- That is also something that we from the Danish side are leaning towards. We want the harshest possible sanctions on Russia. There should be a 17th sanctions package on Russia soon, said Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
According to AFP, the sanctions package includes a blacklisting of around 200 oil tankers used to circumvent restrictions on Russian oil exports.
Companies in countries such as Vietnam, Serbia and Turkey, accused of helping to supply goods to the Russian military, will also be subject to restrictions. In addition, a number of Russian officials will be added to the almost 2,400 people and entities already affected by visa bans and asset freezes.
The package also contains sanctions against Russian individuals for cyberattacks, human rights violations and sabotage in Europe. Moderate Party member of the European Parliament, Stine Bosse, believes that the sanctions package is hitting the right spot.
- Finally, the EU is taking action against Russia's shadow fleet. It has taken too long for my taste, but now we are tightening our grip on the covert activity that continues to finance Putin's war and constantly poses a risk to both our environment, as the ships are often old and worn out, but also to our security, as we have seen that the ships are used for, for example, sabotage of undersea cables, says Stine Bosse.
/ritzau/
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