The EU has launched new sanctions against Russia. The focus is on measures designed to close loopholes. In addition, other supporters of the Russian war of aggression are sanctioned.
After weeks of discussions, the EU states have agreed on new sanctions against Russia. The eleventh package of sanctions includes punitive measures against other people and organizations that support the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
It also contains an instrument against circumventing sanctions that have already been issued, as announced by the Swedish Council Presidency in Brussels. Among other things, this should make it possible to restrict selected exports to certain third countries due to suspected circumvention of sanctions. Many products from the EU countries themselves have not been allowed to be delivered to Russia for months.
Kazakhstan, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates and China, for example, are considered countries through which sanctions against Russia are circumvented. Turkey was recently certified by EU experts to react comparatively decisively to indications of sanctions being circumvented.
Von der Leyen welcomes the package
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement on the sanctions package: “Our instrument for combating sanctions evasion will prevent Russia from getting its hands on sanctioned goods.”
Von der Leyen recently said about the previous sanctions against Russia that the EU export bans alone affect goods with a pre-war trade volume of around 50 billion euros per year. This corresponds to a share of 55 percent. The EU import bans on goods from Russia therefore affect 60 percent of pre-war exports with a value of around 90 billion euros.
The agreement was reached in the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU in Brussels. It now has to be accepted by the EU countries. But that is considered a formality.