Brussels - Saba:
The European Union’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia officially entered into force on Friday, according to a document published in the EU’s Official Journal.
As reported by Sputnik, the document stated: “This decision shall take effect on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.”
The new sanctions package targets 22 Russian banks, including Yandex Bank, Ozon Bank, and Tinkoff Bank (T-Bank).
It also imposes sanctions on 14 Russian individuals, among them renowned filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov.
The Council of the European Union approved the 18th sanctions package on Friday, which includes a total of 14 individuals and 41 legal entities.
Russia’s Permanent Mission to the EU warned that a ban on importing petroleum products refined from Russian oil via third countries would inevitably lead to a rise in fuel prices across the EU.
According to a statement by the mission, cited by Sputnik, “The restrictions on imports of oil products derived from Russian crude via third countries will inevitably lead to higher fuel prices in the EU market.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the upcoming sanctions before their adoption, telling reporters: “So far, we are seeing a relatively unified line against Russia from Europe. We have repeatedly stated that we consider such unilateral restrictions to be illegal.”
He added, “Of course, the new EU sanctions package must be analyzed thoroughly to minimize its impact.”
Russia has consistently asserted that it will withstand the pressure of sanctions, which have been imposed by the West for several years and continue to intensify. Moscow has also noted that Western countries lack the courage to admit the failure of these measures, as skepticism over their effectiveness grows even within the West itself.