Warsaw was disappointed with the preliminary draft of the tenth package of EU (EU) sanctions against Russia, said on Monday, February 13, on air RMF.FM Ambassador of Poland to the EU Andrzej Sados.
“This is below our expectations,” the diplomat said.
As Sados noted, the package does not include, in particular, sanctions against one of the Russian state corporations and a ban on the import of Russian diamonds.
Sados added that the EU had proposed sanctions against four Russian banks and a ban on the import of Russian rubber, which was also sought by Poland. There will also be export bans on dual-use electronic components that Russia uses to manufacture weapons.
According to the radio station, the European Commission (EC) presented the draft sanctions to the EU countries last weekend. On Monday, EU countries will receive customs codes for each of the goods subject to sanctions, and on Wednesday, February 15, the EC will present a bill on sanctions.
A new round of restrictions involves the introduction of additional trade bans on the export of goods from the EU to the Russian Federation, including trucks, as well as construction equipment, it was reported earlier on Monday.
On the same day, the Politico newspaper, citing diplomats and officials, reported that the 10th package of European Union sanctions against Russia could include restrictions on four Russian banks. Alfa-bank is among them, the names of other credit institutions are not given.
On February 10, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow has the tools to respond to the 10th package of EU sanctions.
The EU introduced the ninth package of sanctions against Russia on December 16, 2022. It includes new controls and restrictions on the export of goods and technologies that can contribute to the technological improvement of the defense and security sector of the Russian Federation.
Western states have stepped up sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation against the backdrop of a special operation to protect the population of Donbass. The decision to start it was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to Ukrainian shelling.
