The European Union officially approved its 16th package of sanctions imposed against Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The new measures, announced on the third anniversary of the all-out war, target Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, banks, aluminum imports, and other sectors.
"For three years now, Russia has relentlessly bombed Ukraine, attempting to steal land that isn’t theirs to take," the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said in a statement.
"There is no doubt about who the aggressor is, who should pay and be held accountable for this war. Every sanction package deprives the Kremlin of funds to wage war."
Forty-eight persons and 35 entities were listed in the 16th package of sanctions, which was approved by EU ambassadors last week.
The package expands restrictions against the "shadow fleet" — a group of aging tankers used to evade sanctions—by targeting 73 additional vessels, bringing the total to 153.
For the first time, the EU also imposed a transaction ban on financial institutions outside Russia that use the Russian System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), a Russian alternative to the international SWIFT payment system.
The package further included 53 entities supporting Russia's military and industrial complex, eight Russian propaganda outlets like the Eurasia Daily, Lenta, and Tvzvezda, expanded the list of items under trade ban to chemical precursors to riot control agents, chromium compounds, and more, and tightened port and aviation restrictions.
The EU also slapped additional sanctions against Belarus and adopted measures to hamper Russia's attempts to integrate the occupied territories of Ukraine.
The news comes days after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war would include relief from the economic restrictions imposed on Moscow.
EU Economy and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis responded that Brussels must take greater control of its sanctions policy against Russia as U.S. priorities shift.
The EU approved its 15th sanctions package against Moscow on Dec. 16. The package targeted 54 individuals and 30 organizations from Russia, China, and North Korea, as well as shipping companies facilitating Russia's crude oil sales.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
