EU approves 13th sanctions package against Russia

The European Union has adopted another package of sanctions against Russia – it is the 13th since the start of the war in Ukraine. The new measures are expected to affect more than 200 people, companies and organizations.

Shortly before the second anniversary of the attack on Ukraine, the European Union imposed new sanctions against Russia. This is intended to freeze the assets of around 200 additional people, companies and institutions in the EU. Business is no longer allowed to be done with them – and they are no longer allowed to enter the EU.

According to the EU, those sanctioned include companies that contribute to Russia’s military and technological strengthening or to the development of its defense and security sector. No more military-use goods and technologies may be sold to them from the EU. The measures should also affect companies in Turkey and China.

Von der Leyen: Keep the pressure on the Kremlin high

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement on what is now the 13th sanctions package. The aim is to further degrade President Vladimir Putin’s war machine. The pressure on the Kremlin is being kept high with punitive measures against around 2,000 people and organizations in total. Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU was “further restricting Russia’s access to drones” with the new punitive measures.

The agreement still needs to be formalized in writing. The list of people and companies should be published by the anniversary of the start of the war on Saturday.

How effective are the sanctions?

There has been a debate in the EU states for months about the effectiveness of the gradually tightened sanctions. Above all, with the sanctions imposed in the economic sector, state revenue for Russia should be cut. However, there are a large number of alternative transactions in which Russia is now increasingly selling oil and gas to India and China. Certain Russian products such as uranium are exempt from European and American sanctions because countries such as France and the USA rely on the imports.

The last EU sanctions package against Russia to date included, among other things, the ban on importing diamonds and diamond jewelry from Russia into the European Union. There has long been a far-reaching import ban on crude oil, coal, steel, gold and luxury goods, as well as punitive measures against banks and financial institutions.