BRUSSELS, 25 Feb. (DPA/EP) –
The EU has published this Saturday the details of the tenth round of sanctions against Russia, agreed late on Friday by the member countries and which cites the Wagner mercenary group, the Alfa Bank and imposes export bans worth more than 11,000 million dollars.
“We now have the most comprehensive sanctions ever imposed to deplete Russia’s war arsenal and bite into its economy,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The package, agreed two hours before the deadline, includes a ban on the import of Russian industrial products such as asphalt or synthetic rubber, an element that has focused discussions in recent days before the divisions within the EU for the allowed quota or the transition period to apply the import ban.
In addition, the block is taking a step forward with exports of key resources for Russian industrial production such as weapons, trucks, agricultural and forestry vehicles or drones, all elements that can be used for Russia’s military logistics in Ukraine.
Within the framework of the tenth package, the EU adds 87 individuals and 34 entities to its ‘black list’, such as military and political commanders, as well as propagandists and those responsible for spreading disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as highlighted by the High EU Foreign Policy Representative, Josep Borrell. “They are responsible for the deportation and forced adoption of at least 6,000 Ukrainian children,” he stressed.
In total, after a year of Russian invasion, the EU already imposes sanctions on 1,473 people and 205 entities, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, and senior military commanders, officials and businessmen who cooperate with the Kremlin to facilitate aggression against Ukraine. .
Among them are eleven individuals and seven entities linked to the Wagner Group, some accused of serious violations of Human Rights in countries such as the Central African Republic or Sudan. Others pose a threat to security and stability in Mali and two more individuals are sanctioned for the war in Ukraine.
“The activities of the Wagner Group are a threat to people in the countries where they have a presence and in the European Union. They endanger international peace and security because they are not under any legal framework,” Borrell argued.
Trade sanctions ban the export to Russia of components, antennas, cranes and special vehicles, as well as parts for trucks and engines. The export of electronic components for civil or military dual use in weapon systems, drones, missiles and helicopters is also limited.
