EU Member States agree on new sanctions against Russia

EU Member States agree on new sanctions against Russia
European flags wave outside the Berlaymont building pictured during the open doors of European institutions on the occasion of the Europe day. Saturday 04 May 2019. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck

On the eve of the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, the ambassadors of the 27 EU Member States have approved a 16th round of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday.

These include a ban on importing Russian aluminium into the EU. They also target the captains and owners of Russia's "ghost fleet" of ships with unclear ownership, some of which are uninsured, according to diplomats in Brussels.

These vessels are allegedly used to circumvent Western price caps on Russian oil exports to third countries or to transport stolen Ukrainian grain.

There are also concerns that these ships may be used to sabotage telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

These new sanctions, set to be formally adopted on Monday by the EU foreign ministers, also aim to reduce Russian oil exports.

"The EU’s stance is clear: we continue to support Ukraine and sanction the Russian aggressor, upholding international rules, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," a diplomatic source stated.

"We know the sanctions are effective," emphasised Poland’s Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski, whose country holds the EU Council Presidency.

"We see increasing evidence that the Russian economy is not as robust as perceived. We observe more signs of its weakness, largely due to the sanctions."

This story was updated.

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