The number of Russian entities sanctioned because of the war in Ukraine could increase by one third, under plans announced by EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas.
The move comes in the backdrop of the bloc announcing 21 rounds of sanctions against Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“For autumn I am putting forward the most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war. Once adopted, they would immediately raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third,” Kallas told German media.
The comments came weeks after the EU adopted a watered-down sanctions package that was approved after protracted negotiations among member states, some of whom objected to some of the tougher measures. The sanctions, which Kallas said have deprived Russia‘s war machine of over $1.1 trillion, currently target 3,000 individuals and entities, according to the European Commission.
On Sunday night, 600 drones targeted the Moscow region according to the Russian capital’s mayor, as Ukraine has stepped up long-range attacks into Russian territory.
The planned expansion of EU sanctions signals a renewed effort to increase economic pressure on Moscow as the Ukraine war enters another phase of escalation. The key question will be whether EU members can maintain political unity and translate sanctions into measurable constraints on Russia’s defense-industrial capacity, particularly as Moscow adapts through alternative trade networks and domestic production. The final autumn sanctions package, signs of divergence among European capitals, Russia’s potential countermeasures, and intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory could trigger further escalation or diplomatic pressure for negotiations. (AFP)
