Russia has announced retaliatory measures, in response to the 19th package of sanctions approved on October 23 during the European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Ukraine.
The sanctions comprise a further 69 individual listings and actions targeting sectors, including finance, energy, and the military industrial complex, which the EU said fuel Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement Friday, Moscow said the latest economic restrictive measures undermine the prerogative of the United Nations Security Council, and are illegitimate under international law.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the list of EU and member states’ representatives, who are now prohibited from entering the territory of Russia, has been expanded.
It includes personnel from security agencies, state and commercial organizations, and citizens of the EU and other Western nations, who have been providing military assistance and dual-use goods to Kiev.
Others are individuals involved in Russian vessels and cargo blockades, and officials of the EU and countries implicated in the “persecution” of Russian officials over “illegal detentions and deportations” in/from Ukraine.
Moscow also banned advocates of the confiscation of Russian assets or the diversion of profits to benefit Ukraine, civil activists, and academics linked to Russophobic rhetoric.
Additionally, the retaliation affects members of EU national parliaments and the European Parliament who have voted in favor of anti-Russian resolutions and legislative proposals.
“The hostile actions of the European Union are incapable of exerting any influence on our country’s policies,” the Foreign Ministry statement reads.
Russia vowed to continue defending its national interests, safeguarding the rights and freedoms of its citizens, and upholding the emerging multipolar world order.
Ambassador to Belgium, Denis Gonchar, recently cautioned against the attempt to sell seized Russian assets – estimated at $224 billion – within Europe, held by Belgium-based Euroclear.
In an interview with TASS, Gonchar stated that any move to confiscate or use the sovereign assets will be perceived as theft, calling it an illegal act that negates international law.
“The response will be proportionate,” the diplomat warned. ”If the EU decides to implement this plan, their talk of solidarity will quickly be replaced by counting of losses.”
