The EU gives the green light to the fifth set of sanctions against Russia, which includes energy resources and hightech products, but also a number of restrictions on certain groups of people or activities. The package arrives a day later than that imposed by penalties US and UKdue to the balance between EU Member States.
A longawaited start
The package was launched at the meeting on Coreper by the 27 ambassadors of European countries who reached a compromise point on the most debated sanctions, such as on energy products that include coal but not oil and gas.
On the subject energy There’s still the Major Distance between Member Statesalthough the European Parliament has passed a resolution calling on Brussels to impose the full and immediate embargo on Russian energy, as that is why I took oil and gas.
Today, Friday April 8th, la la is expected formal ratification on the package, which will be published later in the Official Journal and will enter into force immediately.
What are the sanctions?
The new round of sanctions includes the progressive embargo on the import of money from Russia, along with a number of other products such as Cement, lignite, liqueursfor a total value of 5.5 billion, in addition to the export block of hightech products to Russia semiconductors, computers, gas engineering and other electrical and transport equipment worth about 10 billion.
The sanctions also include expanding the blacklist of figures banned from doing business with Europe to include President Putin’s two daughters, Katerina Tikhonovna and Maria Vorontsova, and others 4 Russian bankswhich a trade ban with the EU is imposed.
Also affected are i Russian merchant shipswhich are banned from European ports, and freight forwardersfor which the access ban on European motorways has been confirmed.
More money for military spending
The EU has also decided to: a increase of 500 million of the Fund for military support to Ukraine, which thus reaches 1.5 billion euros.
The increase proposal European Peace Facility It came from the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Boirrel, and was supported by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, but it needs the support of the Member States.
EU follows US and UK decision
The EU sanctions follow those already imposed by the US and UK. the United States announced sanctions against the two largest Russian banks, Sberbank and Alphabankand a ban on Putin’s two daughters.
Of London instead it arrived Stop on coal and oil later this year, in addition to the Freezing of Sberbank’s assets.
Even the G7 announced new economic and financial sanctions against Russia, in the form of a ban on investments in key sectors of the Russian economy, including energy, and additional sanctions on the defense sector and on “elites” who support the war.