Bloomberg: EU plans to ban Russian funding for political parties, think tanks
The EU is planning to ban political parties and think tanks from accepting Russian funding as part of its latest round of sanctions against Moscow, Bloomberg reported on May 6.
The European bloc has already adopted 13 sanction packages in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aiming to undermine Moscow's economic output and the ability to sustain the war.
EU leaders are expected to introduce a 14th round of sanctions in the coming months.
According to Bloomberg, the ban on Russian funding could impact far-right parties in Europe, such as Germany's AfD and France's National Rally, both of which have previously been accused of links to Russia.
Several European countries have accused Russia of funding far-right politicians and disseminating pro-Kremlin propaganda in the EU ahead of the elections for the European Parliament.
The EU is also working on a proposal to limit imports of Russian liquified gas (LNG) as part of the upcoming 14th package of sanctions, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on May 6, as reported by European Pravda.
Despite Brussels' target to be free of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, several EU members remain heavily reliant on Russian gas, and imports of LNG from Russia reached record highs last year.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kyiv, Simson said there are currently no sanctions against Russian LNG, but EU energy ministers "made a decision and proposed a tool to limit the access of Russian liquefied natural gas to our energy terminals," European Pravda reports.
Simson also said the EU is preparing for a sudden end to the Russian pipeline gas supply when the transit contract between Ukraine and Moscow expires at the end of this year.
Dominic Culverwell
