The EU Will Expand Its Sanctions List Against Russia by a Third — Kallas
17 August 14:27
According to Kai Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European Union plans to significantly expand sanctions against Russia in the coming months. This was reported by [Komersant], citing DW.
“This fall, I will present the broadest list of sanctions since the start of the war. If it is adopted, the number of Russian individuals, companies, and organizations subject to sanctions will immediately increase by a third,” Callas said in an interview.
According to the European Commission, there are currently nearly 3,000 individuals and legal entities on the EU’s sanctions lists against Russia. Kallas emphasized the need to “increase pressure on Russia until it ends the war.”
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Hope for a New Rapprochement with the U.S. on Sanctions
At the same time, the head of European diplomacy expressed hope that the positions of the U.S. and Europe on sanctions will once again converge. She said that the Senate’s passage of a sanctions bill drafted by the late Senator Lindsey Graham offers hope for this.
Kallas also called the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, imposed since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, a success.
“Russia has paid a high price for the EU sanctions; they have already cost the Russian war machine more than one trillion euros,” she said.
Russia’s “Systematic Terror” Against Ukraine
The head of European diplomacy also pointed to the “systematic terror” that Russia is inflicting on its neighboring country. The Russian army “is not winning on the battlefield and is therefore increasingly directing its missiles against the Ukrainian civilian population and infrastructure,” seeking to “render Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.” According to the UN, July was the deadliest month for Ukraine’s civilian population since May 2022.
In addition, Russia is attacking grain-laden ships in the Black Sea, thereby threatening global food supplies. Ukraine’s allies must not allow Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who unleashed this war, to succeed, the head of the EU’s foreign policy department emphasized.
Europe Must Respond to Hybrid Threats
For its part, Europe is facing growing hybrid threats, and most acts of sabotage, espionage, and cyberattacks are linked to Moscow, she added. Kallas pointed to the drone incident at Leipzig Airport and the violations of Polish and Romanian airspace by Russian missiles and drones.
“They are testing our resolve and probing our defenses. Such incidents are unacceptable and demonstrate Moscow’s growing audacity. If we respond too weakly, we will see even more incidents like these,” she said.
According to the politician, Germany’s plans to reform its intelligence services are crucial for a more effective response to hybrid threats.
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