EU member states agree on new sanctions against Russia
This package is one of the broadest approved by the EU. It will undergo a written procedure and be formally approved for February 24 (2nd anniversary of the conflict) EU PRESIDENCY
Berlin, Germany - European Union member states agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia, the Belgian presidency of the bloc announced on Wednesday.
“EU ambassadors just agreed in principle on a 13th package of sanctions in the framework of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” the presidency said in a statement posted on X.
“This package is one of the broadest approved by the EU. It will undergo a written procedure and be formally approved for 24 February,” the second anniversary of the conflict, the statement said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said with the new package, the EU will add almost 200 persons and entities to the list of sanctions.
“With this package, we are taking more action against entities involved in circumvention, the defence and military sectors,” he said in a statement.
Since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine in February 2022, the EU imposed 12 sets of sanctions against Russia, banning oil and coal imports and exports of high-tech technology products, as well as excluding Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system.
On Saturday, the conflict will enter its third year.
Despite waning support for Ukraine in some countries, the death last week of imprisoned Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny - which many European leaders blamed Moscow for - has given fresh impetus to impose more sanctions on Russia.
Russia, Venezuela have ‘own plans’
Russia and Venezuela plan to take steps in response to the freezing of their assets in the West, Russia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
“We have our own plans. Venezuela also has intentions to take some steps. So the exchange of experience in this area is very, very useful. We will seek justice. This is the main direction in which we work,” Sergey
Lavrov said during a press conference in Venezuela’s capital Caracas with his counterpart Yvan Gil.
Noting that he and Gil exchanged views on this matter during their talks, Lavrov said Venezuela suffers from the policies of the US and its allies, which he described as ‘barbaric and predatory’.
He said that the seizing of a Boeing 747-300 plane belonging to Venezuelan company Emtra
sur by the US on February 12 ‘fits into the mainstream of the corresponding policy’.
“In addition to the situation with the plane…venezuelan money and state reserves, like Russian state reserves, are frozen in a number of Western countries. This is, of course, a gross and flagrant violation of both international law and the practice of conducting civilised relations in trade, investment and any other sphere,” he added.
Lavrov said relations between Russia and Venezuela have reached a stable level of strategic partnership and the two countries have agreed to increase the pace and volume of their cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and oil production.
He also said a meeting between the presidents of Venezuela and Guyana on the oil-rich Essequibo region is being prepared and that there is a basis for constructive dialogue.
Guyana and Venezuela have been engaged in a years-long dispute over a 160,000sqkm (61,776 square mile) region where massive amounts of oil and gas have been found. It intensified after Exxonmobil’s first oil discovery in the territory eight years ago.
Gil defined the meeting with his Russian counterpart as productive, saying they will continue to work to strengthen relations between their two countries.
Lavrov also held talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.