Rikard Jozwiak
-
EU ambassadors agree 22nd Russia sanctions package after Estonia secures removal of rare-earth supplier
EU ambassadors agreed on 7 October on a new sanctions package against Russia — the largest approved at one time — covering 743 individuals and 826 legal entities tied to Russia's military-industrial complex. At Estonia's request, one Russian rare-earth supplier and an associated individual were removed from the draft to protect inputs for the Estonian company NPM Silmet. EU foreign ministers are due to formally approve the package on 12 October.
-
France backs Slovakia's push to remove Russian oligarch Usmanov from EU sanctions list
France is pushing to remove Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU personal sanctions list, aligning with a longstanding Slovak demand. The move has caused dissatisfaction among other EU members and comes as ambassadors failed to agree on extending the sanctions regime before a September 15 deadline.