On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has approved a tenth package of sanctions against Russia after last-minute negotiations. The EU presidency
announced on Twitter that the sanctions were the most forceful and far-reaching ever imposed by the bloc in support of Ukraine. The package includes tighter export restrictions on dual-use goods and measures against entities supporting the war or spreading propaganda. The sanctions were intended to make financing the war more difficult and to starve Russia of technology equipment and spare parts for arms used against Ukraine.
Negotiations were tense, with Poland initially holding up the process due to its opposition to proposed restrictions on EU imports of Russian rubber. Poland argued that the quotas of exempted imports were too high, and the transition periods too long to be effective. The delay caused concern among other EU countries who were eager to send a message of solidarity with Ukraine on the anniversary of the attack.
All 27 EU member states need to approve sanctions for them to be enacted, making negotiations a lengthy and tedious process. The latest sanctions were also designed to blacklist more individuals, including those responsible for deporting Ukrainian children to Russia and those involved in the production of Iranian drones deployed on the frontline. The package was also meant to cut off more banks, including the private Alfa-Bank and online bank Tinkoff, from the global system SWIFT and cut trade between the EU and Russia by more than 10 billion euros.
The EU has pledged to keep supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary and stands united with the Ukrainian people. The sanctions are part of a broader effort to help Ukraine win the war, and the EU hopes they will make a significant difference. The bloc has now imposed ten rounds of sanctions against Russia since the start of the war, and the latest package is intended to make financing the conflict more difficult.
Despite the challenges of negotiations and the risk of sending mixed messages on the anniversary of the attack, the EU managed to approve the package of sanctions before the midnight deadline. The measures will now be enacted, and the EU will continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself against Russian aggression.