The European Union is considering introducing secondary sanctions against third countries that help Russia circumvent existing restrictions.
That is according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, Ukrinform reports.
According to the report, EU foreign ministers will meet later this week in Copenhagen to discuss various options. Among them is the potential use of a circumvention tool adopted in 2023 but never used. This mechanism would allow the EU to ban the export, supply, or transfer of certain goods to third countries suspected of enabling sanctions evasion.
The ministers are also expected to consider additional measures targeting Russia’s oil, gas, and financial sectors, as well as further restrictions on imports and exports of Russian goods. These talks will take place in an informal setting and will not focus on adopting a new sanctions package.
Meanwhile, the EU is working on a 19th package of sanctions that is for now mainly expected to focus on Russian kidnappers of Ukrainian children, an issue that is resonated with U.S. President Donald Trump when he last met European leaders in the White House to discuss the war.
As previously reported, the EU is preparing new sanctions aimed at tightening pressure on Russia’s war economy, though they are not expected to restrict imports of Russian energy.
Source: EU mulls secondary sanctions on third countries helping Russia evade restrictions – Bloomberg
