Foreign Minister Tsahkna in Brussels: Pressure must increase until Russia abandons its goal of destroying Ukraine
Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
20.05.2025 | 13:01
Today 20 May, the European Union adopted a new, 17th package of EU, stepping up and strengthening measures against Russia. 75 individuals and entities and 189 vessels were added to the sanctions list, more than doubling the number of sanctioned vessels to 342. Sanctioned vessels include Argent/Jaguar, the unflagged and uninsured shadow fleet vessel, which was escorted into Russian waters by the Estonian Navy last week.
"Russia is using the shadow fleet to finance its aggression against Ukraine, threatening the environment and underwater critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The inclusion of nearly 200 vessels of the shadow fleet in the EU sanctions list proves that the EU remains resolute in applying pressure on Russia and countering hostile and dangerous activities," Tsahkna said.
The foreign minister said that work has already begun on the 18th sanctions package.
"As long as Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine and does not prove its readiness to achieve a just and lasting peace, the sanctions must be stepped up. Russia must lose the economic means to continue its aggression, and therefore I hope that the next EU sanctions package can be adopted soon," Tsahkna said.
Sanctioned ships cannot enter European Union ports and it is prohibited to provide services to them.
31 companies will be added to the list of military end-users and companies involved in the circumvention of sanctions, which will now be subject to stricter export restrictions.
75 names (17 individuals and 58 entities) were added to the sanctions list, including Surgutneftegaz, a major Russian oil and gas producer, and companies related to the shadow fleet. Nearly 2 500 individuals and companies have now been sanctioned for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Since the start of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the European Union has steadily stepped up sanctions against Russia, with 17 packages of sanctions now in force. Tsahkna said that fossil fuel exports constituted Russia's biggest source of revenue. "Coal and seaborne crude oil and petroleum products are already under sanctions, but gas and pipeline oil imports into the European Union continue," he said. "Imports of Russian energy carriers must be restricted further," he said.
The Russian hybrid sanctions regime was also updated with 21 individuals and six agencies. These included persons who committed attacks against monuments and other property located in Estonia and persons involved in Russian influence activities in the European Union. The possibility of imposing sanctions on tangible assets (such as ships and planes), financial institutions, and propaganda channels related to Russian hybrid activities was also introduced.
28 additional individuals (judges, prosecutors and other officials) responsible for serious human rights violations and repression in Russia were sanctioned under the Russian human rights sanctions regime.
Three Russian state agencies responsible for the use of a riot control chemical compound in the war of aggression against Ukraine were included in the chemical weapons sanctions regime.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha joined the meeting via video and gave an overview of the situation on the front. The foreign ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East.
Ahead of the meeting of EU foreign ministers today, Tsahkna participated today in the European Humanitarian Forum and yesterday spoke at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.
All sanctions will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Additional information on sanctions on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
