Moscow targets law enforcement, tribunal organizers, and asset seizure advocates in latest response
Russia announced Tuesday it has significantly expanded its list of European officials barred from entering the country, in retaliation for the European Union’s latest sanctions packages against Moscow.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the entry ban was broadened in response to the EU’s 17th and 18th sanctions packages, adopted on May 20 and last week, respectively.
“The European Union continues to increase its unilateral, illegitimate from the point of view of international law, restrictive measures against Russia that undermine the prerogatives of the UN Security Council,” the ministry said.
The updated sanctions list includes “employees of law enforcement agencies, state and commercial organizations, citizens of EU member states and a number of other Western countries responsible for providing military assistance to Kyiv,” the statement noted.
It also targets representatives involved in establishing a tribunal created last month by Ukraine and the Council of Europe, as well as officials advocating the confiscation of Russian assets or the use of their proceeds to support Kyiv.
“Anti-Russian hostile actions are not capable of exerting any influence on the policy of our country. Russia will continue to follow the course of defending its national interests and protecting the new fair world order,” the ministry said, warning that future EU sanctions would also receive a “timely and adequate” response.
The ministry did not disclose the names of those included in the expanded entry ban.
The EU’s 18th sanctions package, adopted last Friday, targeted Moscow’s energy revenues, banking sector, military suppliers, and trade flows, and also tightened restrictions on Belarus.
