The plans include limiting some exports to countries outside the EU suspected of evading sanctions against Russia. This could include, for example, Kazakhstan, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates and China. The increase in exports of some products from the EU to a country like Kazakhstan and from Kazakhstan to Russia seems suspiciously proportional to the decrease in EU exports to Russia.
‘New blow to Putin’
“These measures will deal another blow to Putin’s war machine,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It took member states a long time to agree on the eleventh package, which the commission had already presented in early May. For example, several EU countries fear that any action against China will have trade consequences or could lead to retaliatory measures. According to French news agency AFP, five Chinese companies that were previously on the draft sanctions list have been removed after pressure from Beijing.
Hungary and Greece also stalled the new sanctions package for a long time, because Ukraine had blacklisted companies from both countries. Should Ukraine no longer designate a Hungarian bank and a number of Greek shipowners as companies contributing to the war, they asked. Greece got its way, but Hungary didn’t. Budapest, however, has ended its opposition to the new round of sanctions, though it still prevents the EU from giving Ukraine extra arms money.
Live Blog | Day 483 of the war in Ukraine
Approval Monday
Foreign ministers are expected to ratify the sanctions package in Luxembourg on Monday. This approval of the ambassadors’ decision is usually nothing more than a formality.