Brussels Proposes 11th Round of Sanctions Over Russia's War on Ukraine

The European Commission has proposed an 11th round of sanctions against Russia. According to Eric Mamer, a spokesperson for the European Commission, the new package focuses on the implementation and effectiveness of existing sanctions and measures to prevent their evasion.

The 27-nation EU has imposed an unprecedented wave of sanctions on Moscow since Vladimir Putin launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022. However, some European diplomats believe that the EU has reached the limit on broad measures that all EU countries are willing to agree to.

The EU is now focusing on closing loopholes in those sanctions already in place. European officials aim to crack down on re-exporting sensitive technology to Russia via third countries, such as microchips that can be repurposed for use on the battlefield.

As part of the package, the European Commission has recommended the halt of exports of sensitive technologies to eight Chinese companies, suspected of selling them on to Russia. The proposed measures will be discussed by EU ambassadors in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 10.

The commission is also proposing restrictions on exports to companies in Armenia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates, which have seen a huge increase in the numbers of sanctioned goods they import.

A February report on 2022 trade activity, by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), showed trade flows from the EU to the Caucasus and Central Asia increased by 40-60%, depending on the commodity, while trade in those items between those countries and Russia increased by up to 90%.

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Berezhinskaya, a theatre director, had railed against Russia’s actions in Ukraine, saying Moscow’s soldiers were killing civilians and destroying cities in a naked land grab.

The EU is also lobbying to introduce a streamlined procedure for going after countries suspected of circumventing sanctions. They want to establish a mechanism that could restrict the export of certain goods to third countries suspected of serving as conduits to Russia.