European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Kiev on Tuesday revealed the content of the EU’s new 11th sanctions package against Russia linked to the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine .
According to von der Leyen, the new package consists of three elements. Among other things, it is planned to expand the list of prohibited goods entering Russia through third countries. In addition, the EU plans to create new tools that will prevent third countries from circumventing sanctions.
“If we find that European goods go to third countries and then end up in Russia, the European Commission could propose to member states to impose sanctions against the export of these goods,” von der Leyen explained. In this regard, the head of the European Commission noted the increase in, as she put it, “extremely unusual trade flows”. From the comments of the head of the EU’s executive body, it follows that new export restrictions will mainly affect goods in the field of technology and related to the aviation industry.
The new measures are still under consideration and will be applied very cautiously, after thorough risk analysis and approval by all EU members, Deutsche Welle von der Leyen quotes.
Another element of the new package, von der Leyen called a ban on “ghost” structures from Russia and non-EU countries that deliberately circumvent Brussels sanctions.
Speaking in Kiev, the head of the European Commission stressed that the EU is doing everything possible to undermine Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military machine and receive new revenue for him.
According to DPA sources within the EU, among the countries through which cases of circumvention of anti-Russian sanctions are recorded, Kazakhstan, Armenia and the United Arab Emirates are mentioned.
Earlier this week, the Financial Times wrote that the European Union may impose sanctions on several Chinese companies for supplying electronics to Russia. Brussels believes that the products of these companies can be used in the production of weapons. A total of seven Chinese enterprises engaged in the production of microchips, semiconductors and other electronic devices can be added to the 11th package.
Two manufacturers from the United Arab Emirates and one from Armenia may also be subject to restrictions. Sanctions can also affect Iranian companies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that during the talks on May 9, he and Ursula von der Leyen discussed, in addition to the tightening of sanctions against Moscow, Kiev’s progress towards EU integration and European supplies in ammunition for the Ukrainian army. According to Zelenskyy, he asked to speed up the supply of artillery shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Ukrainian leader also said that in a conversation with von der Leyen he criticized the restrictions imposed by some EU countries on regarding grain exports from Ukraine. Zelenskyy stressed that these restrictions only work in favor of Russia.
Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Kiev took place on the day when EU countries celebrate Europe Day. On the eve of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he also ordered to celebrate May 9 in Ukraine as the Day of Europe. Victory Day over Nazism, as in most European countries, Ukraine will now celebrate May 8.
During a joint press conference with Zelenskyy, von der Leyen said that Ukraine is today the most appropriate place to celebrate the day of European unity and peace. She recalled that Ukraine is fighting for the very ideals that formed the basis of this day and called the country “the beating heart of today’s European values”.
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