The European Council has established a new sanctions program against Russia due to “hybrid attacks” and sabotage in the EU

The EU Council has established new criteria for sanctions against Russia due to its “destabilizing actions abroad.”

The program will allow the introduction of sanctions against individuals and legal entities that “undermine the core values ​​of the EU and its Member States, their security, independence and integrity, as well as the values ​​of international organizations and third countries.”

“Hybrid threats” from Russia, for which the European Union will be able to impose sanctions, include undermining electoral processes and the functioning of democratic institutions; threats to economic activity or critical infrastructure, the use of coordinated disinformation, cyber-attacks and “the use of migrants as a tool.”

“We are recording a growing number of different actions against the EU: cyber attacks, information manipulation, interference campaigns, arson, acts of vandalism and sabotage, including against our critical infrastructure, the use of migration as a tool <…>. Russia continues to disrupt satellite communications, invade European airspace and carry out physical attacks on individuals within the EU,” the European Council says on its website.