EU hits Russia with new sanctions ahead of Paris summit

EU envoys agreed on a 16th package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, EU diplomats said, including a ban on primary aluminium imports, sales of gaming consoles and the listing of 73 shadow fleet vessels.

The package, which largely sticks to the European Commission’s proposal, is expected to be adopted by EU foreign ministers next week, to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The EU is clamping down even harder on circumvention by targeting more vessels in Putin’s shadow fleet and imposing new import and export bans,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media.

“We are committed to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin,” she added.

The aluminium import ban will be phased in a year from the official adoption of the package, which also adds 48 individuals and 35 entities to its sanctions list that includes asset freezes and a travel ban, diplomats said.

The French president contacted the US president on the phone before Monday’s mini-summit in Paris.

Emmanuel Macron still hopes to convince US President Donald Trump that nothing can be negotiated without the Ukrainians and that the Europeans must be able to “put forward their own solutions.”

The European Union along with other Western powers has been ratcheting up restrictions in recent months to squeeze Russia’s oil exports. In addition to the vessels, the envoys agreed to prohibit transactions with ports and airports in Russia used to circumvent the Group of Seven price cap on Russian oil.

The newly sanctioned ships will be added to the already listed 79 ships, mainly tankers, used by Russia to sell oil outside the price cap or vessels that help in Moscow’s war effort such as shipping ammunition from North Korea.

Credit: rfi

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