EU logoBRUSSELS, 23 Feb The European Union has completed the procedure for approving sanctions against Russia for recognizing the DPR and the LPR, the French Presidency of the EU said in a statement.
"The written procedure for sanctions has been successfully completed. Legal acts have been adopted and will be published for immediate entry into force before the end of the day", the statement says.
The completion of the technical procedure means that all EU countries have signed a new sanctions package. The new restrictions became known the day before. They will affect 351 State Duma deputies who voted for the recognition of independence — they will be banned from entering the EU, and their assets will be frozen. In addition, there are 27 other individuals and organizations on the list: these are politicians, banks and businessmen who support or benefit from Russia's actions in the LPR and DPR, high-ranking military officials, and also «responsible for disinformation against Ukraine.» The names of the defendants will be published in the next few hours.The European Union has decided: Russia must pay for European sins It is also supposed to ban imports from the DNR and LNR and the export of certain goods and technologies there, as well as the organization of tourism; imposing restrictions on trade and investment in certain sectors. Among the EU measures are restrictions on Russia's access to the capital market and the financial market of the EU, a ban on financing Russia, its government and the Central Bank. In the document, the EU called on Moscow to reconsider the recognition of the DPR and LPR and threatened with new sanctions. As Vladimir Putin emphasized earlier, anti-Russian restrictions will continue to be introduced in any case — an excuse will be found or fabricated. According to him, this is not due to the situation in Ukraine, but to the very fact of the existence of Russia.Zelensky said he expects increased sanctions pressure on RussiaRecognition of the DPR and LPRPresident Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 21 that he considers it necessary to immediately recognize the sovereignty of the LPR and DPR, and signed the relevant decrees. He also instructed to ensure the maintenance of peace in the republics. As the head of state explained, he made such a decision, since those who embarked on the path of bloodshed, violence and lawlessness do not recognize any other solution to the conflict in Donbass, except for the military one. Their leaders addressed the President of Russia with requests to recognize the independence of the republics. In recent weeks, the situation in the Donbass has escalated: Kiev has concentrated most of the army on the line of contact and regularly fires on the militias, including with the use of prohibited equipment. Due to the threat of Ukraine's invasion in the self-proclaimed republics, women, children and the elderly began to be evacuated to Russian regions. General mobilization has been announced.The development of the situation in Donbass is in the online report >>
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