EU slaps new sanctions on Russia amid Trump’s push for negotiations

The European Union agreed on Wednesday to impose a fresh round of sanctions against Russia amid Donald Trump’s push for negotiations on Ukraine’s fate, which has cast doubt over the long-term viability of the hard-hitting restrictions.

Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, suggested that Europe would eventually be called to the negotiating table to discuss sanctions relief for the Kremlin.

“There are other parties that have sanctions, the European Union is going to have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed,” Rubio said on Tuesday after meeting his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia.

Rubio stressed concessions on “all sides” would have to be made. When asked about Europe’s exclusion from the process, he replied: “No one is being sidelined.”

Still, the bloc is keen on maintaining its punitive policy – at least for now.

Wednesday’s deal among ambassadors was deliberately timed to arrive in the lead-up to the invasion’s third anniversary, which the College of Commissioners is set to mark with a joint visit to Kyiv. It represents the 16th package of restrictions since February 2022.

The new sanctions introduce a ban on imports of Russian primary aluminium, an idea that was discussed in the past but never approved due to the reticence of some member states who worried about its economic impact.

Russian unwrought aluminium accounts for about 6% of the EU’s aluminium imports, a share that has decreased over the past years as European manufacturers moved away from Russian suppliers.

The EU had already banned certain aluminium-made products coming from Russia, such as wires, tubes and pipes, though these only accounted for a fraction of purchases. Now, the ban is extended to cover primary aluminium, which is sold as ingots, slabs and billets, and makes up the vast share of the imported value.

Besides the raw metal, the latest package of sanctions broadens the blacklist against tankers belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which the Kremlin has deployed to circumvent Western restrictions on oil trade and maintain a source of revenue that is crucial to fund the war on Ukraine.

The fleet consists of old-age, uninsured ships that are suspected of deceptive practices, including transmitting falsified data, turning off their transporters to become invisible and conducting multiple ship-to-ship transfers to conceal the origin of their oil barrels.

The condition of these vessels is so poor that Brussels worries they could spill oil and cause an environmental catastrophe near the bloc’s territory.

Political pressure is at an all-time high following several incidents in the Baltic Sea where the “shadow fleet” was accused of carrying out sabotage against undersea cables.

The “shadow fleet” is estimated to have around 600 ships but no official number exists due to the Kremlin’s secrecy of information.

China and India are today the main buyers of Russian oil, which is often refined in their territory and sold back into the EU market under a different label.

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According to diplomats, the new raft of EU sanctions blacklists 73 vessels suspected of being part of the “shadow fleet.” The addition brings the total number to 153 ships.

All of them are denied access to EU ports and EU services.

The bloc’s legal text has been revised to allow the blacklisting of owners and operators of “shadow fleet” vessels, including captains.

Additionally, the new sanctions expel 13 Russian banks from the SWIFT electronic system and suspend the broadcasting licences of eight Russian media outlets.

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Formal adoption is expected on Monday when foreign affairs ministers meet in Brussels.