EU approves new sanctions on Russia

Brussels: European Union (EU) member states approved the 11th package imposing new sanctions on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war.

As President of EU, Sweden announced new sanctions that included items related to the technology sector that could potentially help Russia's military sector.

#COREPER II | Today, the EU Ambassadors agreed on the 11th package of sanctions against Russia. The package includes measures aimed at countering sanctions circumvention and individual listings.

— Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU (@sweden2023eu) June 21, 2023

The new sanctions also revoke the licenses of five Russian government-controlled broadcasting organizations. It also freeze the assets of 71 individuals and 33 entities accused of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia.

According to British news agency, a third country has been banned from selling sensitive items that can be used for dual purposes to Russia.

The European Union meeting has also prepared a list of suspected countries to which the sale of sensitive and dual-use items will be banned.

For a long time, EU has been expressing concern over the increasing demand for EU goods from Russia's neighboring countries Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey and China.

EU Commission President Ursula van der Leyen has also welcomed the new restrictions.

I welcome the political agreement on our 11th sanctions package.

It will deal a further blow to Putin’s war machine with tightened export restrictions, targeting entities supporting the Kremlin.

Our anti-circumvention tool will prevent Russia from getting its hands on… https://t.co/MlQlxNzNeR

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 21, 2023

Earlier in the preparation phase of the new sanctions, concerns were expressed by Hungary and Greece over the Ukrainian sanctions imposed by accusing their companies of supporting the war, after which Ukraine ordered to immediately remove the ban from five Greek shipping companies.

On the other hand, Hungary's OTP Bank remains on Ukraine's sanctions list, however Hungary has supported the new sanctions.