The consensus among ambassadors arrives just days ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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The European Union decided on Wednesday to implement a new set of sanctions against Russia, coinciding with Donald Trump’s call for discussions regarding the future of Ukraine, which raises questions about the sustainability of these stringent measures.
Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, indicated that Europe might eventually need to engage in negotiations about easing sanctions on the Kremlin.
“Other parties have sanctions, and the European Union will need to be involved in discussions at some point due to their imposed sanctions,” Rubio stated on Tuesday after his meeting with his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia.
Rubio emphasized the necessity for compromises on “all sides.” When questioned about Europe’s potential exclusion from discussions, he responded, “No one is being sidelined.”
However, for the time being, the bloc is determined to uphold its punitive measures.
The agreement among ambassadors was intentionally timed to precede the third anniversary of the invasion, which the College of Commissioners plans to commemorate with a joint visit to Kyiv. This represents the 16th package of restrictions since February 2022.
The new sanctions impose a ban on imports of primary aluminium from Russia, a proposal previously considered but not enacted due to concerns from some member states about its economic implications.
Russian unwrought aluminium comprises approximately 6% of the EU’s aluminium imports, a percentage that has diminished over the years as European manufacturers sought alternatives to Russian suppliers.
The EU had previously banned specific aluminium products from Russia, such as wires, tubes, and pipes, but these constituted only a small portion of total imports. The new ban extends to primary aluminium, typically sold as ingots, slabs, and billets, which represents a significant majority of the imported value.
In addition to banning raw metal, the latest sanctions package expands the blacklist to include tankers associated with Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which the Kremlin has employed to navigate around Western oil trade restrictions and sustain a crucial revenue stream for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
This fleet is comprised of outdated, uninsured vessels suspected of engaging in deceptive practices like falsifying data, disabling their transponders to avoid detection, and conducting covert ship-to-ship transfers to obscure the origins of their oil shipments.
Brussels is concerned about the poor condition of these vessels, fearing they could cause oil spills and trigger environmental disasters near the EU’s borders.
Political pressure has surged following multiple incidents in the Baltic Sea where the “shadow fleet” faced allegations of sabotaging undersea cables.
The “shadow fleet” is estimated to consist of around 600 ships, though no official count is available due to the Kremlin’s lack of transparency regarding this information.
China and India are currently the primary purchasers of Russian oil, which is frequently refined on their territory and subsequently resold to the EU market under different labels.
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As per diplomats, the latest round of EU sanctions adds 73 vessels to the blacklist suspected of being part of the “shadow fleet,” bringing the total to over 150 ships.
All listed vessels are barred from accessing EU ports and services.
The bloc’s legal framework has been amended to permit the blacklisting of owners and operators of “shadow fleet” vessels, including their captains.
Moreover, the new sanctions also expel 13 Russian banks from the SWIFT electronic system and suspend the broadcasting licenses of eight Russian media entities.
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The formal adoption of these sanctions is anticipated on Monday when foreign affairs ministers convene in Brussels.
