The countries of the European Union (EU) reached a political agreement on Wednesday to launch the eighth package of sanctions against Russia, this time in response to the illegal annexation of four new Ukrainian territories, which includes a commitment to set a ceiling on the price of Russian oil if the amount is agreed with the G7 and other countries.
“We have just reached a political agreement on new sanctions against Russia: a forceful EU response to the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” said the Czech Presidency of the EU Council. via Twitter.
The cap on the price of oil consists of allowing the transport of Russian oil and its derivatives worldwide only if Moscow can sell it at a price equal to or less than the fixed price, in order to lower its income with which it can finance the war against Ukraine and limit its impact on the energy crisis.
As various diplomatic sources have explained, the agreement, which still has to be formally approved, has been reached after accepting the demands of Greece, Cyprus and Malta that the proposal will only be carried out if it is applied by a broader coalition of countries, before the fear that their shipping companies could lose market share to competitors.
The G7 already reached a political agreement in September to cap Russian oil, at the expense of finalizing the measure in the coming months.
The new round of sanctions also bans European citizens from sitting on the boards of Russian public companies, in a package the EU has agreed to in response to the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Jeron and the partial mobilization decreed by President Vladimir Putin.
The Twenty-Seven, in fact, have decided to sanction the leaders that Moscow has imposed on the four Ukrainian regions, as well as the intellectual Alexandr Dugin, whose daughter was murdered in August in a terrorist attack and who is one of the ideologues of the new Russian nationalism in which Putin is inspired.
The EU will also list Alan Lushnikov, the largest shareholder in Russian arms manufacturer JSC Kalashnikov Concern, and artists or musicians who have participated in Kremlin propaganda acts.
The company JSC Goznak also stands out, in charge, among other things, of printing the passports that Moscow distributes in the occupied regions of Donbas and to other companies related to the supply of weapons to the Russian army and one involved in nuclear research for civilian use.
However, the Twenty-seven have agreed not to sanction the Russian company Alrosa, one of the main diamond producers in the world, as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, had initially proposed.
The EU will also veto the export of technology in the aviation, electronics and chemical sectors.
“We have moved quickly and decisively. We will never accept Putin’s fake referendums or any kind of annexation in Ukraine. We are determined that the Kremlin will continue to pay,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her account. Twitter official.
