EU foreign ministers have imposed a series of sanctions on 19 Russians and on Moscow’s Federal Penitentiary Service for violating human rights following the death of anti-Putin opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Navalny was found dead in his cell in February at the prison known as Polar Wolf after being sentenced in 2021 to 19 years in jail.
Speaking on Monday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said: “Alexei Navalny’s shocking death was another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression by the Kremlin regime.”
“We will spare no efforts to hold the Russian political leadership and authorities to account.”
Included among those put on the sanction list, are Russian judges, prosecutors, and members of the judiciary.
Any assets they have in the EU have been frozen, European companies cannot make funds available to them, and the sanctioned individuals cannot enter or travel through the EU.
The move comes the same day as EU foreign ministers urged Hungary to stop blocking billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine.
Prior to a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers, Lithuania’s ambassador Gabrielius Landsbergis said Hungary had been blocking EU foreign policy positions.
Arriving at the meeting in Brussels, he told reporters: “Almost all of our discussions and needed solutions and decisions by the EU are being blocked by just one country.”
“We have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by the EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs.”
Estonia and Italy also weighed in to express their frustration with what they see as Hungary toeing the line of Russia’s interests by blocking billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine.
Referring to an EU-backed fund called the European Peace Facility (EPF) which provides billions of euros to support Ukraine’s military, Estonian Foreign Margus Tsahkna said: “This is crucial now for Ukraine, and also for Europe, to use these EPF funds.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added: “We are against the blocking. We want to move on.”
Speaking on Monday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said: “Alexei Navalny’s shocking death was another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression by the Kremlin regime.”
“We will spare no efforts to hold the Russian political leadership and authorities to account.”
Included among those put on the sanction list, are Russian judges, prosecutors, and members of the judiciary.
Any assets they have in the EU have been frozen, European companies cannot make funds available to them, and the sanctioned individuals cannot enter or travel through the EU.
The move comes the same day as EU foreign ministers urged Hungary to stop blocking billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine.
Prior to a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers, Lithuania’s ambassador Gabrielius Landsbergis said Hungary had been blocking EU foreign policy positions.
Arriving at the meeting in Brussels, he told reporters: “Almost all of our discussions and needed solutions and decisions by the EU are being blocked by just one country.”
“We have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by the EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs.”
Estonia and Italy also weighed in to express their frustration with what they see as Hungary toeing the line of Russia’s interests by blocking billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine.
Referring to an EU-backed fund called the European Peace Facility (EPF) which provides billions of euros to support Ukraine’s military, Estonian Foreign Margus Tsahkna said: “This is crucial now for Ukraine, and also for Europe, to use these EPF funds.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added: “We are against the blocking. We want to move on.”
Source: Reuters
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