Coal, investments, port closures: an update on sanctions targeting the Russian economy
The embargo on coal, the ban on new investments, the closure of European ports to Russian ships: here’s the point of the sanctions imposed by Europeans and Americans against Russia since the beginning of the war.
The European Union (EU), some member states that are heavily dependent on Russia for energy, finally decided on Thursday evening to stop buying coal from the Russian Federation from August (45% of its coal imports).
Twenty-seven had already planned to reduce Russia’s gas imports by two-thirds by the end of this year, and they barred Europeans from making new investments in this essential sector for Russia.
Another symbolic result: the suspension of the North Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was to increase Russian gas supply to Germany.
The United Kingdom on Wednesday pledged to halt Russian coal imports, as it had already promised for Russia’s crude and petroleum products, but by the end of the year.
The United States banned Russia’s oil and gas imports in early March.
The European Union announced on Thursday evening that it would close its ports to Russian ships. Russian and Belarusian road smugglers have also been banned from operating in the EU.
The airspace of NATO and EU members has already been closed to Russian flights and several airlines have suspended flights to Russia.
The aeronautical industry is of broad concern: a ban on the export of aircraft, spare parts or equipment, a ban on maintenance of aircraft registered in Russia by Airbus and Boeing, and a ban on insurance and reinsurance services in London.
The fifth set of European sanctions, passed on Thursday, bans exports to Russia, especially high-tech goods, up to 10 billion euros.
The list of Russian products banned from importing into the EU has been extended to some extent “Ingredients and main ingredients” It is estimated at .5 5.5 billion a year.
Shortly before the new European sanctions were announced on Thursday, the US Congress revoked the trade status of Russia and Belarus. “Most Favorite Nation”Enough to impose punitive customs duties on goods imported from both countries.
Imports of seafood, vodka and Russian diamonds have been banned by the United States.
On Wednesday, the United States banned all new investment in Russia, and the United Kingdom banned all new British investment in the country.
Since Monday, the U.S. Treasury has blocked Russia from repaying the dollars it holds in US banks, forcing Moscow to settle $ 649.2 million in debt and threatening to repay. Washington this week froze all their assets on Russian banking companies Sberbank and Alpha Bank. “In touch with the US financial system”.
The United Kingdom has so far frozen $ 350 billion in foreign currency from the Russian government, according to British Foreign Secretary Lis Truss on Tuesday.
The United States and the European Union, among other countries, have banned all transactions with the Russian central bank and will not move its foreign currency assets.
Another drastic blow: Swift’s exclusion of the country’s major banks from the interbank system, which is an essential trap for global finance, allowing transactions to be transacted quickly and securely.
Hundreds of Russian dignitaries, including the two daughters of President Vladimir Putin, have been allowed in, targeted by Washington and Brussels.
The EU on Thursday extended its blockade to 18 companies and more than 200 individuals, now barred from entering the EU and freezing their assets.
Vladimir Putin is already being targeted by sanctions, like his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, or Igor Chechin, the boss of the oil company Rosneft.
According to a report released by the British government on Wednesday, London has approved, for its part, 82 oligarchy worth 17 170 billion (200 200 billion) and 18 banks (1, 1,120 billion) worth 9 940 billion in assets. .
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