EU approves one of strongest packages of anti-Russian sanctions – Kallas

The European Union has approved one of the strongest packages of sanctions against Russia to date, European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas said on Friday.

“We’re cutting the Kremlin’s war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks’ access to funding,” Kallas wrote on the social network X.

According to the approved sanctions package, she stressed, the Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower price cap for oil is also set.

“We are putting more pressure on Russia’s military industry, Chinese banks that enables sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones. For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India,” Kallas added.

“Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow,” she concluded.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the approval of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia.

“We are striking at the heart of Russia's war machine. Targeting its banking, energy and military-industrial sectors and including a new dynamic oil price cap. The pressure is on. It will stay on until Putin ends this war. Thank you, Danish EU Presidency, for this first success,” she wrote on X.