For the first time, the European Council has announced “fully-fledge” sanctions against Chinese companies and entities suspected of supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Revealed on December 16, the measures primarily target Chinese technology sectors accused of bolstering Russia’s defence and security capabilities.
“For the first time, we are imposing full-scale sanctions — including travel bans, asset freezes, and restrictions on economic resources — on various Chinese actors supplying drone and microelectronic components for Russia’s war against Ukraine,” stated the Council.
The latest sanctions package includes 54 individuals and 30 entities deemed responsible for actions undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Among these, 32 entities, some based in China, were accused of directly supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex.
According to the European Union, these entities supplied sensitive items such as military aircraft UAVs and missile components for the Kremlin’s military operations.
“Russia continues its brutal attack on Ukraine and its people,” said EU Foreign Affairs chief Kaja Kallas. “This sanctions package is our response to weaken Russia’s war machine and those enabling this conflict, including Chinese companies.”
The sanctions adopted by the EU were aimed at weakening Russia’s reliance on its allies.
For Latvia’s foreign minister Braze Baiba, the move should “limit Russia’s access to money, to technology and to global connection with third countries enabling avoidance of sanctions”.
The announcement represented the EU’s 15th package of restrictive measures against Russia, with a strong focus on the country’s defence sector and shipping companies involved in transporting crude oil and oil products.
A primary target of the sanctions was Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, which the EU has aimed to neutralise to curb Moscow’s efforts to evade sanctions. The latest measures borught the number of vessels targeted by the EU to 79.
According to the bloc, these sanctions specifically targeted non-EU tankers linked to circumventing the oil-price cap mechanism, supporting Russia’s energy sector, transporting military equipment for Moscow, and/or facilitating the export of stolen Ukrainian grain.
The European Union slapped a new series of economic sanctions on Russia – for the 14th time. @philippilkhttps://t.co/5qCrSgu0RL
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 20, 2024
