Brussels, 13 Feb. The European Union is considering sanctioning some 140 Russian individuals and 31 entities in the tenth Moscow sanctions package it wants to approve no later than February 24, coinciding with the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, indicated diplomatic sources to EFE.
The list includes military charges and Russian officials responsible for crimes committed in Ukraine, as well as new banking entities.
In addition, they want to extend the restriction on the export of goods and industrial machinery from the EU and the G7 on which Russia is heavily dependent and “make it difficult” to supply alternatives that Moscow can find on other markets like Chinese.
They also want to ban Russian citizens from participating in European critical infrastructure companies.
The measures, however, do not include two of the main demands of Poland and the Baltic countries – those most opposed to Moscow in the EU – such as a veto on imports of diamonds and Russian gas, although purchases of this fuel They currently account for less than 8% of all natural gas imported by the community club, according to data from think tank Bruegel.
The ambassadors of the Twenty-seven to the EU will discuss next Wednesday this new package, which Brussels has been preparing with the Member States for weeks and which is quite “closed”, according to diplomatic sources assured EFE.
The EU has already sanctioned nearly 1,400 Russian individuals – including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov – and 171 entities.
The import of oil was also banned and it was forbidden to transport it to third countries if the price per barrel exceeds 60 dollars, within a ceiling agreed with the G7.
On February 5, the veto on the import of Russian diesel and the ban on its sale to third countries above 100 dollars per barrel and 45 in the case of other oil derivatives also came into force.
Sanctions approved so far include the freezing of Russian Central Bank reserves in the EU and ten banks have been disconnected from Swift, including Sberbank, the country’s largest bank.
Community airspace has also been closed to Russian companies, as well as seaports to their shipping companies, among economic measures that include an embargo on exports of dual-use goods.