Sanctions

Global Europe 30-05-2024

Limited appetite among member states for EU trade sanctions on Israel

Est. 4min

Amid growing calls for economic sanctions against Israel in view of the worsening humanitarian toll of its military operations in Gaza, EU trade ministers briefly discussed the issue on Thursday (30 May) but remained far from deciding on actual steps.

EU-Russia 25-05-2024

G7 ministers cite ‘progress’ but no deal on Russian assets for Ukraine

Est. 5min

G7 finance ministers cited "progress" on Saturday (25 May) in finding ways to use profits from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, envisioning a concrete proposal to present to a leaders' summit next month.I’m

Global Europe 16-05-2024

EU backs sanctions on Russian propaganda outlets as part of next sanctions package

Est. 3min

Four Russian state media outlets will be added to the European Union's blacklist, while other measures for the 14th sanctions package against Moscow are still in the early stages of discussion following a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday (15 May).

Global Europe 10-04-2024

EU top court annuls sanctions on two Russian tycoons

Est. 3min

An EU court on Wednesday (10 April) annulled sanctions on two Russian businessmen, Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, after finding that the reasons invoked by Brussels were invalid.

The Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine must end in 2025

Est. 5min

As the 2024 expiration of the Russian gas transit contract via Ukraine approaches, the EU faces a pivotal choice, writes Sergiy Makogon.

Europe's East 13-03-2024

EU leaders to call for more sanctions targeting Belarus, North Korea, Iran

Est. 3min

EU leaders are next week expected to call for new sanctions targeting Belarus, North Korea, and Iran over their support to Russia's war efforts in Ukraine as the bloc attempts to further crack down on circumvention by third countries

Global Europe 21-02-2024

EU targets Chinese firms, North Korea in new Ukraine war anniversary sanctions package

Est. 3min

EU member states on Wednesday (21 February) agreed to ban exports to three mainland Chinese firms and blacklist North Korea's defence minister in new sanctions for the second anniversary of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Global Europe 09-02-2024

New EU sanctions package to target Russian military, tech firms for war anniversary

Est. 5min

The EU is expected to hit more Russian military and tech firms, including firms shipping ammunition from North Korea, as part of a new package of measures to mark two years since Russia invaded Ukraine.

US and EU have all the means to derail Russia’s Arctic LNG expansion plans

Est. 7min

Russia plans to nearly triple its LNG export capacity by 2030, with four new terminals in the Arctic due to bring more revenues for Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Yet, Ukraine’s allies have a strong leverage on Russian LNG exports, writes Andrii Zhupanyn.

Global Europe 03-01-2024

EU adds Russia’s biggest diamond producer Alrosa to sanctions list

Est. 3min

The EU on Wednesday (3 January) added Russia's Alrosa, the world's biggest diamond producer, as well as its CEO Pavel Alekseevich Marinychev to its sanctions list as part of its ban of import bans over Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Global Europe 22-11-2023

The EU paradox with tackling sanctions circumvention

Est. 6min

The EU has long opposed any extraterritorial application of sanctions. However, faced with reality, steps towards extraterritoriality are clearly emerging but the EU might still wish to nuance its message, write Tom Keatinge and Gonzalo Saiz.

Global Europe 08-09-2023

Is the EU’s new tool against sanctions evasion unusable?

Est. 5min

By establishing new punishments for countries helping Russia evade sanctions, the EU may have created a rod for its own back, write Steven Farmer and Iris Karaman.

Global Europe 20-07-2023

Czechia urges outreach to third countries before further Russia sanctions

Est. 4min

Work on pressuring Russia to stop its war on Ukraine must continue, even at a national level when the EU cannot, Jan Marian deputy foreign minister of the Czech Republic, told EURACTIV in an interview on Monday (3 June).

Global Europe 05-07-2023

Russia sanctions should remain a priority for Spain’s EU presidency

Est. 5min

With the recently adopted eleventh package of sanctions on Russia and Spain’s new EU presidency, Madrid should prioritise Ukraine, according to Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin. Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin is research analyst at the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at Royal …

Global Europe 21-06-2023

EU greenlights 11th Russia sanctions package, mostly targeted at stuffing loopholes

Est. 4min

After weeks of wrangling, EU ambassadors on Wednesday (21 June) agreed to an 11th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, designed to prevent third countries and companies from circumventing the bloc's existing measures.

Global Europe 03-05-2023

EU to extend sanctions framework to target corrupt foreigners

Est. 3min

The European Commission on Wednesday (3 May) presented plans to extend its sanctions regime to target foreign nationals for corruption offences, in the wake of the Qatargate scandal and revelations on the scale of Russian money in Europe.

The case for a full set of sanctions against Russia’s LNG industry

Est. 6min

Stricter sanctions and an end to Europe's LNG purchases from Russia can disable funding for the Kremlin's war of aggression against Ukraine and halt its gas infrastructure expansion plans in the Arctic, writes Andrii Zhupanin.

Europe's East 21-04-2023

Pressure mounts on EU to sanction Rosatom in next Russia sanctions package

Est. 7min

With the European Commission having started work on the 11th Russia sanctions package since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia hardliners are reviving pressure to target the country's nuclear industry.

Germany pushes for nuclear energy in EU’s next Russia sanctions package

Est. 2min

Germany is pushing for the European Union to include the civilian nuclear sector in the bloc's new sanctions package against Russia, the Economy Ministry said on Monday (17 April).

Global Europe 04-04-2023

EU sanctions against Russia: Is our work really done?

Est. 6min

Much focus is placed on discerning the impact sanctions are having on Russia, but EU member states must first ensure robust implementation, writes Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin. Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin is a Research Analyst at the Centre for Financial Crime and Security …

Global Europe 20-03-2023

The Brief — International pariah

Est. 5min

The arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a much bigger deal than it may appear: It makes him a political outcast unlikely to play a role in a possible negotiated peace process.

‘Not much left’ on Russia sanctions, other support needed now, says EU’s Borrell

Est. 6min

The EU has nearly exhausted its options for punitive measures against Russia and the bloc’s attention needs to shift to financial and military support for Ukraine, the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Global Europe 08-03-2023

EU court removes mother of Russia’s Wagner Group chief from sanctions list

Est. 3min

The mother of Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, won a challenge in a top EU court on Wednesday (8 March) to be removed from the bloc's sanctions list.

Economy 24-02-2023

Russia ‘grossly violated’ global financial system, watchdog rules

Est. 2min

The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF), the international anti-money laundering watchdog, suspended Russia’s membership with immediate effect on Friday (24 February) due to the country's attack on the “security, safety and integrity of the global financial system”.