EU adopts fresh sanctions amid vow to ramp up pressure on Moscow
- ‘We now have the most far-reaching sanctions ever – depleting Russia’s war arsenal,’ said Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission chief
- The sanctions package also imposes tighter export restrictions on another 96 entities for supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex
The European Union vowed to increase pressure on Moscow “until Ukraine is liberated” as it adopted a tenth package of sanctions on Russia on Saturday, a day after the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
“We now have the most far-reaching sanctions ever – depleting Russia’s war arsenal and biting deep into its economy,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter, adding the bloc was turning up the pressure on those trying to circumvent EU sanctions.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned the bloc would continue to pile more sanctions on Moscow.
“We will continue to increase pressure on Russia – and we will do it for as long as needed, until Ukraine is liberated from the brutal Russian aggression,” he said in a statement.
Borrell said the latest sanctions tackled the banking sector, Moscow’s access to technology that can be used for civilian and military purposes and advanced technologies.
The package adds electronic components used in Russian weapons systems retrieved on the battlefield, including drones, missiles, helicopters, as well as specific rare earth materials, electronic integrated circuits, and thermal cameras to the list of banned exports.
It also imposes tighter export restrictions on another 96 entities for supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex, including for the first time seven Iranian entities manufacturing military drones used by Moscow.