The EU sanctions are designed to make it more difficult for Russia to finance the war, as well as to leave it short of technological equipment and spare parts.
The European Union has approved the 10th package of sanctions against Russia on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s Independence Day. Total invasion of Moscow of Ukraine, EU officials said.
The latest round of sanctions stipulates additional trade restrictions against Russia, the President of the EU Council of Sweden announced in Brussels on Friday night, and is designed to make it more difficult to finance the EU. war as well as starving Russia of technological equipment and spare parts for weapons used against Russia. Ukraine.
The package includes tighter export restrictions on dual-use goods as well as measures against Russian war-supporting entities, including pro-invasion propaganda and supply Unmanned aircraft used by Russia to attack Ukraine.
“Together, the EU member states have imposed the strongest and most far-reaching sanctions ever to help Ukraine win the war,” the EU president said on Twitter.
“The EU stands in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as we can.”
Together, the EU member states have imposed the strongest and most far-reaching sanctions ever to help Ukraine win the war.
The EU stands in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We will continue to support Ukraine, as long as it is necessary.
(3/3)
– President of the Council of the European Union of Sweden (@sweden2023eu) February 24, 2023
The measures also aim to blacklist more individuals, including those whom the West perceives as Russian propagandists, whom Kiev says is responsible for deporting Ukrainian children to Russia, and Iran’s drone production participants deployed on frontline of the war.
The package is also designed to cut more Russian banks, including the private Alfa-Bank and Tinkoff online bank, from the SWIFT global system, and cut trade between the EU and Russia by more than 10 billion euros (10. $5 billion), according to the block’s executive.
With just two hours left until midnight on Friday, negotiators from EU member states crossed the finish line to agree on sanctions after Poland had previously thrown a wrench at the government. job.
Warsaw said the EU’s proposed restrictions on Russian rubber imports include exempted large import quotas and such a long transition period that they would not come into effect in practice.
Other EU states were confused that Warsaw – a leading Russian hawk in the bloc – was in danger of no new sanctions being announced on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine simply because an element of the broader package.
All member states need to pass sanctions in order for them to be enacted, making negotiations between the 27 countries often tedious and lengthy.
“This is very bad optics. What is supposed to be key here is the message of solidarity with Ukraine on this special day, said a diplomat involved in secret talks between the 27 EU countries in the bloc’s center of Brussels.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal posed in front of four Leopard battle tanks supplied by Poland and posted a series of photos of them being handed over to his warring country. mark a year since the start of the invasion.
Shmyhal stood with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for the images posted on Telegram.
Schmyhal said: “A year ago, tanks came to Ukraine to take away the freedom of the Ukrainian people. “Today, tanks also entered Ukraine, but to defend freedom.”
Poland donated 14 tanks Leopard A2 Morawiecki also said 60 PT-91 main battle tanks will be supplied after they are promised in January.
The PT-91 Twardy is a Polish combat vehicle based on the Soviet T-72 tank but further developed and modernized.
Earlier, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Ukrainian soldiers would be trained by Polish, Canadian and Norwegian instructors at the Leopard training center in western Poland.
