The EU will expand sanctions lists at the expense of Russian deputies and officials

The European Union considers the possibility of entering additional restrictive measures in relation to high-ranking Russian officials due to the situation in Ukraine. This was reported by RBC with reference to the German news agency DPA.

According to the agency, the decision was made in preparation for the meeting of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, which is scheduled for February 9. The EU sanctions list may include a number of Russian deputies and deputy ministers. If such a decision is made, these officials will be prohibited from issuing Schengen visas, and their accounts in the EU will be frozen. We are talking about expanding the sanctions list on five Russian citizens and 14 Ukrainian separatists, the DPA report is said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Reuters, citing a senior official, said that US Vice President Joe Biden is going to discuss the situation in Ukraine with the leaders of the EU countries and possible additional sanctions against Russia. According to the publication, at a meeting, which will be held approximately on February 6–8 on the eve of the annual Munich Security Conference, Biden will meet with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

On January 29, in Brussels, the Foreign Minister of the European Union decided to extend anti-Russian sanctions for six months due to an exacerbation of the situation in Ukraine, as well as a breakdown of the next round of the Minsk negotiations, which were supposed to take place in mid-January. Now the EU is preparing new sanctions, the final decision should be made on February 9.

Sanctions against Russia were imposed by EU and the USA countries in 2014 in response to the occupation of Crimea and initiating a conflict in the southeast of Ukraine. Sanctions suggest, in particular, a ban on the transfer of technologies for Russian companies on the deep production of oil and the development of the Arctic shelf. In response to sanctions, Russia for a year banned import from Western countries of some types of food. A number of Russian officials, politicians and businessmen were saved under personal sanctions.