EU diplomats give thumbs up to 'one of the broadest' yet 13th round of anti-Russia sanctions
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Ambassadors of the EU member states agreed on a 13th package of sanctions against Russia, the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council reported on X (Twitter) on Feb. 21.
This package is "one of the broadest" approved by the EU.
The sanctions package will undergo a written procedure and will be officially approved on Feb. 24.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the ambassadors' agreement on the 13th package of sanctions against Russia.
"We must keep degrading Putin's war machine," she said on X.
“With 2,000 listings in total, we keep the pressure high on the Kremlin. We are also further cutting Russia’s access to drones.”
EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that almost 200 more individuals and companies had been added to the sanctions list.
"We are adding almost 200 persons and entities to our package of designations bringing over EU listings to over 2,000," he stated.
The bloc will introduce more measures against organizations involved in sanctions circumvention, as well as the defense and military sectors.
The EU began work on the 13th package of sanctions against Russia on Dec. 19, 2023, and Ukraine submitted its proposals to the European Commission.
Media reported on Feb. 8, that a new package of EU sanctions against Russia would affect companies involved in the delivery of ammunition from North Korea.
Immediately after the adoption of the 13th package, the EU will begin work on the 14th package, which may include new import bans, according to earlier media reports.
The Financial Times reported on Feb. 15, citing sources, that Hungary had blocked the 13th package of EU sanctions against Russia because of measures against China.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said later that Hungary would not block sanctions against Russia, as there were "no more reasons" for this.
The 13th package of sanctions did not include significant items, such as new embargoes on Russian metals, liquefied natural gas or nuclear companies, as its development would have required longer coordination after the introduction of the 12th package of sanctions against Russia on Dec. 19, but the bloc decided to introduce the 13th package on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion.
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