“Russia continues to bring death and devastation to Ukraine. It is deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, seeking to paralyze the country at the beginning of the winter. We stand by Ukraine, and we are making Russia pay for its cruelty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
The European Commission proposed adding almost 200 additional individuals and entities to the EU sanctions list.
These include the Russian armed forces, individual officers and defense companies, members of parliament, ministers, governors, and political parties, among others.
“This list covers key figures in Russia's brutal and deliberate missile strikes against civilians, in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children to Russia, and in the theft of Ukrainian agricultural products,” von der Leyen said.
In addition, the European Commission proposed sanctioning three additional Russian banks, including a full transaction ban on the Russian Regional Development Bank, to further paralyze Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's cash cows.
Furthermore, the European Commission wants to impose new export controls and restrictions, particularly for dual-use goods, including chemicals, nerve agents, electronics, and IT components that could be used by the Russian war machine.
Von der Leyen said that the commission would cut Russia's access to all sorts of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, banning the direct exports of drone engines to Russia and the export to any third countries, such as Iran, which could supply drones to Russia.
“We will also target the Russian propaganda machine by taking four additional channels off the air and all other distribution platforms,” she said.
Von der Leyen said that the European Commission had proposed further economic measures against the Russian energy and mining sector, including a ban on new mining investments in Russia.
This package comes on top of the EU import ban on Russian seaborne oil that came into force on Dec. 5.
“International cooperation against Russia's war has never been stronger. We stand united and firm.” the European Commission President said.
