EU prepares sanctions against Chinese companies for aiding Russia - Politico
Kyiv • UNN
The EU is preparing sanctions against four Chinese companies for assisting the Russian military. Firms from the UAE, Turkey, and Azerbaijan will also face restrictions.
The EU's foreign policy service is pushing for sanctions against four Chinese companies it accuses of supporting Russia's war against Ukraine, Politico reports, citing relevant documents, according to UNN.
Details
The four firms likely to be included in the next sanctions package, set to be approved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers next week, are assisting Russia's "shadow fleet" by supplying chemicals for the Russian military and components that Moscow uses to build strike drones, officials said.
The move is likely to increase tensions between Brussels and Beijing as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seeks support from EU governments for serious measures against subsidized Chinese imports. Last week, China stated it would take "resolute countermeasures and effective steps to protect its own interests" if the EU imposes additional trade restrictions.
Beijing threatens to respond to EU steps to restrict imports from China30.05.26, 19:12 • 13107 views
In previous sanctions packages, the EU has already targeted Chinese firms, but the latest proposals show the bloc is intensifying its strategy to combat Russian partners, despite China's warnings of "consequences" regarding measures included in the 20th round of EU sanctions against Russia.
According to European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill, the tension will be in focus on Tuesday when EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič meets with Chinese trade envoy Li Chenggang on the sidelines of the OECD ministerial meeting in Paris.
The document, dated May 21 and seen by the publication, will be included in a "mini-package" of sanctions that two EU officials said will be adopted at the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on June 15. This package will include a series of individual listings while the bloc works on the 21st sanctions package, which will have a broader, sectoral approach and is expected to be adopted later in the summer.
Any EU sanctions must be unanimously approved by all 27 EU countries. Ambassadors may propose removing one or more provisions included in the proposal by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
In addition to the four Chinese firms, the document proposes sanctions against five firms based in the United Arab Emirates, three in Turkey, and one in Azerbaijan, all of which are described as facilitating Russian shipping and energy sales. It also proposes sanctions against subsidiaries of the Russian company Lukoil, as well as dozens of individuals and firms described as supporting Moscow's war machine.
The list, the publication writes, underscores that Brussels is adhering to an approach of increasing pressure on Russia rather than seeking direct negotiations with Moscow, in order to capitalize on Ukraine's advantages on the battlefield and push Russia toward serious negotiations.
EU countries are still discussing what to include in the 21st sanctions package. A key proposal is to set a price cap on the purchase of Russian oil, which expires in July. If the price cap expires, it will automatically adjust upward given the rise in global energy prices. Several countries are pushing to fix the current price to deprive Moscow of increased revenue.
A group of Nordic and Baltic countries is also proposing more comprehensive sanctions against Russian energy companies, including
"Lukoil," "Gazprom," "Novatek," and "Rosneft," according to a separate document. The group of hawk countries also argues that the bloc should terminate all contracts with the Russian nuclear industry.
The European Commission stated: "We do not comment on the details of future sanctions packages. What we can say is that — as with all previous packages — our goal is to maximize economic pressure on Russia, in particular by introducing new measures to combat sanctions evasion."