ALBAWABA - The EU agreed on Wednesday to impose a 13th round of
sanctions on Russia on the eve of the second anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, according to Belgium, the bloc's president.
A draft proposal seen earlier by AFP included export curbs on three mainland Chinese firms for supplying Russia's military, and the blacklisting of North Korea's defense minister for supplying missiles to Moscow.
"We must keep degrading Putin's war machine," said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
The sanctions are heavily focused on combating circumvention and target companies around the world suspected of supplying Russia with advanced technology and military items developed in the EU, particularly drone components.
Companies from Turkey, North Korea, and other countries have also been targeted. Nearly 200 people and businesses have been added to the blacklist, which now includes over 2,000 names, the majority of which come from Russia.
The EU has previously attempted to sanction a small number of mainland Chinese enterprises, but concerns from Beijing officials and reservations from several member states thwarted the effort.
According to Chinese customs data, commerce between Russia and China will hit a record high of more than $240 billion (€213 billion) in 2023. The sum considerably exceeds the $200 billion target set by the two countries.
