The 27 European Union member states agreed on Thursday evening to adopt new economic sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow’s war in Ukraine, several diplomatic sources told AFP.
The European Commission issued the new sanctions on December 7, proposing to blacklist 144 individuals and 48 Russian companies, including Russia’s armed forces and the country’s three banks.
Brussels recommended a ban on all new investment in the Russian mining sector and strengthened controls on purchases of civil and military dual-use items, as well as electronic and computer components, chemicals and neurotoxic agents.
The EU executive proposed banning exports to Russia of components used to make drones, as well as suspending four new Russian media outlets accused of participating in Kremlin propaganda.
The agreement on the ninth set of European sanctions against Moscow was reached on the sidelines of a unanimous summit of European leaders in Brussels among 27 envoys.
It must now be adopted through a written procedure, the Czech president of the European Union indicated on Twitter, without immediately providing details about the states’ approval, AFP writes, citing Agerpres.
Two countries, Poland and Lithuania, were openly concerned about some of the potential insults offered by Brussels within the framework of these new sanctions.
According to a diplomatic source, the final approved text maintains the possibility of exemptions from sanctions in the name of food security and fertilizer supply requirements if one of the member states is at risk.
Being on a blacklist results in the freezing of assets and a ban on entry into the EU. Opened in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, the list already includes 1,241 individuals and 118 companies.
The new sanctions will notably include a total ban on seaborne Russian oil imports that took effect in early December, alongside a global cap on Russian crude oil prices decided together with the G7 and Australia.
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