BRUSSELS, Jul 26At a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, the EU Permanent Representatives agreed on the extension of personal sanctions against Russia in connection with the situation in Ukraine, the representative office of Spain, currently chairing the EU Council, said. the integrity of Ukraine,» the representative office said on Twitter. Personal sanctions in Ukraine, as a rule, are extended every six months.
Since the introduction in June of this year of the 11th package of EU sanctions against Russia, the personal restrictions of the European Union include almost 1,800 individuals and organizations. The restrictive measures of the EU against the defendants included in the «black list» involve the freezing of assets, citizens and companies of the EU are prohibited from providing funds to them. Individuals are additionally subject to a travel ban that prevents them from entering the European Union or transiting through the EU.
The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that the country will cope with the sanctions pressure that the West began to exert on Russia several years ago and continues to increase. Moscow noted that the West lacks the courage to acknowledge the failure of sanctions against the Russian Federation. In the Western countries themselves, opinions have been heard more than once that anti-Russian sanctions are ineffective. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy for the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy. According to him, the main goal of the West is to worsen the lives of millions of people.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» He noted that the special operation was a forced measure, Russia «was left no chance to do otherwise, security risks were created such that it was impossible to react by other means.» According to him, Russia has been trying for 30 years to agree with NATO on the principles of security in Europe, but in response it has faced either cynical deceit and lies, or attempts to pressure and blackmail, while the alliance, despite Moscow’s protests, is steadily expanding and approaching on the borders of the Russian Federation.
On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the results of referendums in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements with their heads on the admission of regions into Russia. Then, on October 5, Putin signed federal laws ratifying the admission of these regions to the Russian Federation.