The European Commission has proposed its 20th round of sanctions against Russia, suggesting that Georgia's Kulevi port and Indonesia's Kariwa port be added to the sanctions list.
This is the first time the EU is planning to target third-country ports with sanctions against Russia, aiming to limit Russian oil exports via third-country ports.
The proposed sanctions package, jointly put forward by the European External Action Service and the European Commission, has been submitted for review by EU member states and must be unanimously approved by all member states before taking effect. If approved, EU companies and individuals will be prohibited from conducting any transactions with the aforementioned ports.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the new round of sanctions will ramp up efforts, including a comprehensive ban on maritime services for Russian crude oil, replacing the previous G7 price cap mechanism.
The package also adds import bans on nickel bars, iron ore and concentrates, unrefined and processed copper, as well as various scrap metals (including aluminum). Imports of salt, ammonia, pebbles, silicon, and fur products are also banned.
In addition, the EU is for the first time deploying an "anti-circumvention tool" against third countries, proposing restrictions on exports of metal cutting machine tools and communications equipment to Kyrgyzstan, and adding two local banks to the sanctions list, citing their provision of crypto-asset services to Russia. Some banks in Laos and Tajikistan have also been added to the sanctions, while two Chinese lending institutions have been removed from the list.
Under the current framework of asset freezes and travel bans, the EU is also proposing to add 30 individuals and 64 companies, including Bashneft, a subsidiary of a Russian oil company, and eight refineries.