The Russian president and his minister are sanctioned.
(Photo: dpa)
Brussels The EU’s sanctions plans are also aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Corresponding reports were confirmed by diplomats in Brussels to the Handelsblatt. Specifically, asset freezes are being prepared. According to reports, an entry ban is not planned. This move is intended to keep diplomatic channels open.
It was initially unclear when and how the asset freezes against Putin and Lavrov would be implemented. It is possible that the EU will first wait and see whether Moscow is ready for talks. The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia was open to negotiations – albeit on terms tantamount to a capitulation by Ukraine.
The European heads of state and government decided on Thursday evening to significantly tighten sanctions against Russia in order to punish Moscow for the war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition to capital freezes and an export ban on microchips and other critical high-tech components, the package also includes personal sanctions against the Russian leadership.
The entire list of names is to be published promptly. In the past, the EU had sanctioned the now deceased Zimbabwean despot Robert Mugabe and the Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad.
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The European sanctions package is closely coordinated with the American one. US President Joe Biden declined to elaborate on Thursday whether the US is planning personal sanctions against Putin. However, the Democrat said the measure is “on the table.” It’s not a bluff.
Putin apparently expected penalties
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressly did not rule out personal sanctions against Putin in a recent interview with the Handelsblatt. “Russia has everything in hand, let’s wait and see how the situation develops,” she replied to a relevant question.
Putin seems to have expected economic penalties from the EU. The yacht “Graceful”, which is said to belong to the Kremlin boss, was just a few weeks ago undergoing maintenance work at the Bohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg. Before the maintenance was complete, the Graceful left the port of Hamburg and set course for Kaliningrad.
Putin’s fortune has been the subject of speculation for years. Reliable information on the Russian President’s property is scarce.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the West on Friday of not acting hard enough against Russia. “This is not just Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” he said in a televised address. “This is the beginning of a war against Europe. Against European solidarity. Against the basic rights of European people.”
Russian ground forces have now reached Kiev. Fighting is reported from the Ukrainian capital.
More: Putin’s war: That’s what the President is aiming for by attacking the free world