EU not discussing sanctions relief for Russia, says EU's chief diplomat

Tetyana Vysotska, Anastasia Protz - 15 December, 19:45

Kaja Kallas. Photo: Getty Images

Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has said that the European Union is not currently considering lifting sanctions against Russia. On the contrary, it believes pressure on Russia should be increased.

Source: European Pravda

Details: The EU does not intend to lift sanctions against Russia despite the ongoing peace talks.

"Lifting sanctions right now [is] not [being] discussed … As I said, we have to put the pressure on Russia," Kallas stressed.

She pointed out that EU member states have decided to impose sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet on a rolling basis, adding that 40 vessels and some individuals who facilitate the fleet were sanctioned on 15 December.

"Not waiting [for] huge packages, but actually going with the ones that we can move forward," the chief diplomat said.

Kallas said the sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet have had a huge impact on its oil revenues.

Quote: "The work on the 20th sanctions package is going in parallel, but I think we shouldn't wait and we have shown that we are not waiting behind those packages, but actually moving faster with the rolling [out] of the sanctions on the shadow fleet.

So we are doing actually more in order to deprive them [the Russians – ed.] from the funds to really finance this war."

Background:

On 15 December, the EU expanded sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, which Moscow has used to circumvent Western restrictions imposed on its energy sector since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On the same day, the EU also expanded the scope of its sanctions regime against Belarus to cover hybrid unfriendly actions carried out by Belarus against its European neighbours.
In addition, the Council of the EU imposed restrictive measures on a further 12 individuals and two entities over Russia's continued hybrid activities, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and malicious cyber activities against the EU, its member states and partners.

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