Politico: the tenth package of sanctions against Russia will close the gaps in the already adopted restrictions

From an economic point of view, the next package of sanctions against Russia will not be full-fledged, but rather a correction of existing restrictions and filling in gaps, transmits publication Politico, citing diplomatic sources.

Bloomberg citing sources wrotethat sanctions can be adopted by the anniversary of the start of the special operation in Ukraine. According to the publication, the EU may expand restrictions against the sector of drones and dual-use goods used by the Russian military-industrial complex. Before Reuters wrotethat Poland and Lithuania want to achieve sanctions against the Russian nuclear sector, including against Rosatom.

According to Reuters, European affairs ministers from various EU capitals are meeting on the morning of February 6 in Brussels to prepare a summit of their leaders scheduled for Thursday and Friday (February 9 and 10). “Ukraine is high on the agenda and the ministers are set to discuss setting up a special tribunal to prosecute Russian officials,” Politico said.

In addition, the ministers will insist on the use of frozen Russian assets, as the demands to use the frozen reserves of the Central Bank “become louder and louder.” Senior diplomats say the issue remains “highly contentious” as some EU leaders are convinced there is no way to use Russia’s cash without violating international law.

Against the backdrop of the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the EU has already adopted nine packages of sanctions against the Russian Federation. According to the head of the EC, the purpose of the sanctions is “to plunge the Russian economy into recession for decades.”

At the same time, the Russian authorities have repeatedly said that the West failed to achieve its goal. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasizedthat the EU’s calculations to “crush” the Russian economy did not materialize. He noted that nothing happened to Russia that “the enemy predicted” for her. Putin pointed to the composure of the citizens of the Russian Federation and their readiness for challenges.