European Council renews sanctions against Russia for another 6 months News
FrDr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
European Council renews sanctions against Russia for another 6 months

The Council of the European Union extended its restrictive economic measures against Russia for another six months over its continued war in Ukraine on Monday. The measures will now be in force until July 31.

The European sanctions against the Russian Federation currently include both sanctions on Russia itself as well as restrictions on economic relations with Russian-occupied regions in Eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea. The EU has so far adopted 15 packages of sanctions against Russia since the illegal annexation of Crimea. The sanctions against Russia have generally included measures to weaken Russia’s military, and industrial capabilities. In addition to targeting defense and technology sectors directly contributing to the war, the sanctions have included other major economic sectors, including financial, energy, and raw materials, that help Russia maintain its war economy.

The Council has also extended both existing and new sanctions against Belarus, Iran, and North Korea for their support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Sanctions such as asset freezes and travel restrictions have also been applied to 54 persons and 30 entities deemed complicit in undermining Ukraine’s “territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence.”

An important aspect of the sanctions includes countering sanctions circumvention tactics that Russia has employed. This includes illegal shipping of sanctioned goods and the use of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which the EU has condemned for being used in hybrid warfare, such as deliberately destroying electricity and data cables connecting Finland and Estonia in December last year.

The proceeds from immobilized Russian state assets in the EU are currently being appropriated for use as part of the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loans to Ukraine, which aims to provide €45 billion collectively in financial support to Ukraine. The EU is set to provide up to €18.1 billion in 2025 from Russian assets under its control.

The Council has reiterated its continued support for Ukraine and its condemnation of Russia’s aggression, claiming that “as long as the illegal actions by the Russian Federation continue to violate fundamental rules of international law, including, in particular, the prohibition on the use of force, it is appropriate to maintain in force all the measures imposed by the EU and to take additional measures, if necessary.”

The Russian Ministry of Affairs has responded to the latest round of EU sanctions, claiming that its unilateral policies are “aggressive and confrontational.” It further argued that the straps “fail to produce any meaningful results,” and are illegitimate under international law because they bypass the UN Security Council. As retaliation, Russia has implemented additional entry bans against EU representatives and has committed to continue responding to “unfriendly steps” by the EU.

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