The European Union approved on Friday February 24 a new set of sanctions intended to hit Russia’s economy for its invasion of Ukraine, which began just a year ago, the Swedish presidency announced on its Twitter account.
“A year has passed since Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Today, the EU approved a 10th sanctions package which includes, among other things, stricter restrictions on the export of dual-use technology and goods, targeted restrictive measures against persons and entities who support the war, spread propaganda or deliver drones used by Russia in the war and measures against Russian disinformation,” the Swedish presidency said.
Poland lifted its reservations at the end of the evening without having obtained the hardening of the new set of sanctions deemed “too soft, too weak” by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during his visit to Kiev to deliver the first Leopard 2 battle tanks of German manufacture promised by Warsaw. “Poland got nothing,” several diplomats told Agence France-Presse. “She made a unilateral statement about what she wanted for the next sanctions package,” one clarified.
The 10th package of measures notably imposes new restrictions on EU exports to Russia worth 11 billion euros and the freezing of the assets of three Russian banks and numerous entities, including Iranian companies, accused of supplying drones to Moscow, diplomatic sources said. The list includes 120 names, but it remains confidential until it is published in the Official Journal of the EU.
Poland’s stance is criticized by many EU delegations for “penalizing Europe”, seen struggling to approve its 10th package against Russia on the day the US and UK announced the strengthening of their own sanctions to show their support for Ukraine a year after the start of the Russian invasion.
Poland had already blocked the approval of the 9th EU sanctions package in December 2022 and Mateusz Morawiecki had waited for a summit of the leaders of the Twenty-Seven in Brussels to lift his reservations.