Brussels [Belgium], February 20: EU ambassadors backed a 16th sanctions package on Russia on Wednesday, just days before the third anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Polish EU presidency announced.
The measures, set for formal adoption by foreign ministers on Monday, target captains and owners of Russia's so-called shadow fleet - vessels with murky ownership that are often uninsured. These ships help Moscow evade Western oil-price caps and transport stolen Ukrainian grain. Officials are also concerned that these ships could be used to sabotage telecom cables in the Baltic and North Seas.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the new measures. "The EU is clamping down even harder on circumvention by targeting more vessels in [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's shadow fleet and imposing new import and export bans," von der Leyen wrote on X. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
