The ambassadors of the 27 finally reached an agreement

New sanctions approved by the European Union this Friday increase control measures on the export of parts and components that can be used in Russian military machinery. It also aims to tighten the noose so that Russia cannot avoid sanctions already approved in nine previous packages, accessing European products through third countries or companies created in the meantime.

It also adds to the list (of more than 140) linked to Vladimir Putin’s regime by seven Iranian companies – including Revolutionary Guard leaders involved in the production of drones used in combat in Ukraine.

On the social network Twitter, the Swedish leadership of the European Union, which managed the negotiations, wrote that the package includes “strict restrictions on exports in the technical area”, i.e. dual-use goods (civilian and military), “specific control measures”. New measures against individuals and companies supporting the war, spreading propaganda or distributing drones used by Russia in the war” and “Russian disinformation.” The European Commission estimates the package is worth 11 billion euros.

“EU member states imposed the strongest and longest economic sanctions ever to help Ukraine win its war. The EU remains united with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

The agreement was reached at the end of the day, marking one year since the start of the war, but not without a final hand and death. In the last 24 hours, negotiations have focused on one element that needs to be closed: the application of restrictive measures to the synthetic rubber sector (important for the tire industry), as this Thursday’s expresso advanced.

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Russia’s exports to the EU were problematic. All countries proposed by the European Commission accepted the import quotas, except Poland, which asked for tougher action. According to POLITICO, exports of synthetic rubber to Moscow are worth 2 billion euros, including 700 million to the European Union.

This Friday, a diplomatic source criticized the Polish strategy, using last-day pressure to confirm its position. The risk is that the 10th package will not be closed by February 24, as promised by the European Commission and the leaders of the 27.

Although the final approval can only be completed this Saturday, a political agreement could come before midnight. A political defeat would not only jeopardize the unity of the 27, but also give the EU a bad image on a day when it is symbolically important to reaffirm that unity in favor of Ukraine. The United States announced new economic sanctions this Thursday.

The tenth round of sanctions again included a ban on diamonds and imports from Russia. And the nuclear sector was not affected. Volodymir Zelensky has asked the EU to allow the sector and the Russian state company Rosatom, but nuclear power is sensitive to some member states (such as Finland) that depend on these agreements for energy supply.

There was also a proposal to make it easier to apply sanctions to family members and people close to oligarchs (many of which are already sanctioned), which did not move forward. and another to penalize those who do not comply with the obligation to report the whereabouts of frozen Russian state assets. Portugal is one of 13 countries against this latest proposal.

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The lack of time to evaluate the proposal and approve it by this Friday is reasonable, but, as Expresso discovered, it is sure to return to the issue of mapping Russian assets and banning future imports of diamonds from Russia. Constraints sets.

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