European Union applies new measures against Russia

Brussels, June 21 (RHC) The European Union (EU) today announced an eleventh package of unilateral punitive measures against Russia, including a blacklist of 70 Russian personalities and more bans on Russian oil.

Despite the boomerang effect of most of the actions taken against Moscow in a dozen previous packages, the EU insisted this day on extending its boycott on the purchase of Russian crude oil, this time from the southern seam of the Druzhba pipeline.

In addition, the 27 countries of the community bloc agreed to close trade with the Eurasian giant, informed the Polish ambassador to the EU, Andjei Sados.

The regional bloc's agreement also stipulates measures to counter actions implemented by Moscow to evade more than 11,000 Western restrictions and, specifically, the 10 previous sanction packages applied by Europe.

Western powers reinforced their economic war against Russia, especially after President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, the start of a war operation to protect the population of Donbas, as well as to demilitarize Ukraine.

In 2014, when a coup took place in Kyiv and Crimea came under Russia's jurisdiction, the West applied three types of sanctions against Moscow: personal, sectoral, and the so-called Crimean restrictions package.

Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and many of the 27 EU states backed the application of sanctions against Russia that included freezing $300 billion of Russian Central Bank funds in European bank accounts.

In addition, Washington led a campaign to reduce Europe's purchase of natural gas and oil from Russia to the minimum possible, even leading to the suspension of the construction of Nord Stream II, which was finally sabotaged in September last year.

The restrictions also affected unrestricted access to European ports for commercial vessels from the Eurasian country.

According to press reports, outside the eleventh package, which has been discussed at length in the EU, there were proposals relating to the suspension of cooperation with Moscow in the nuclear sector, including the purchase of fuel for nuclear power plants.

Several European countries, including Hungary and partly France, refused to accept Germany's call to boycott the purchase of Russian nuclear fuel after the latter European country closed down the six blocks it still had in operation.

Within the framework of the EU, Berlin promotes the complete phase-out of the use of fossil fuels for energy production, although, amidst the boomerang effect of the punishments applied to Russia, it had to resume the use of coal, among other similar energy sources. (Source: PL)