Yesterday at 20:01
The Council of the European Union has extended economic sanctions against Russia, put into effect as a response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, for another six months.
The EU Council issued a press release on the website.
“The Council today renewed for a further 6 months its restrictive measures in view of the Russian Federation’s continuing actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, until 31 July 2024. These sanctions, first introduced in 2014 in response to Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, were significantly expanded since February 2022 in response to Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and illegal military aggression against Ukraine,” the document says.
These sanctions include restrictions on trade, finance, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods, banning the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, de-SWIFTing of several Russian banks and the suspension of the broadcasting activities and licenses of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets. Additionally, specific mechanisms were implemented to prevent sanctions circumvention.
“As long as the illegal actions by the Russian Federation continue to violate the prohibition on the use of force, which is a serious breach of obligations under international law, it is appropriate to maintain in force all the measures imposed by the EU and to take additional measures, if necessary,” the document reads.
The EU has implemented 12 packages of sanctions in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2024.
Read also: Russia cuts LNG exports due to sanctions – Reuters
