Swedish Foreign Minister calls on EU to include restrictions against Russia's "shadow fleet" and fertilizers in 20th sanctions package
Kyiv • UNN
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard called on the EU to increase economic pressure on Russia. She proposed including in the 20th sanctions package a ban on maritime services for vessels transporting Russian energy resources, and strengthening restrictions on the export of Russian fertilizers.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard appealed to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, to intensify economic pressure on Russia. In her appeal, published on the social network X on Monday, January 12, Stenergard proposed specific measures for the new, 20th package of EU sanctions. This is reported by UNN.
Details
The Swedish side insists on introducing a complete ban on the provision of maritime services to any vessels transporting Russian carbon energy resources. This measure is aimed at finally blocking the activities of Russia's "shadow fleet," which Moscow uses to circumvent price restrictions on oil and gas.
Sanctions pressure remains one of the key tools for influencing the Kremlin. The current restrictions have already led to a significant reduction in Russia's revenues, but we must increase the cost of war for Putin.
Export and Luxury Goods Restrictions
In addition to the energy sector, Sweden proposes to expand sanctions to the following areas:
- Russian fertilizers: strengthening measures against the export of these products to EU countries, which is Russia's third largest source of income from trade with Europe;
- Luxury goods: abolition of the value threshold, which will allow a complete ban on the export of European brands to Russia regardless of the price of the goods.
According to Stenergard, the presence of expensive European goods on the Russian market has symbolic significance, which the aggressor uses to create the illusion of normal life in wartime.