The 13th package of EU sanctions on Russia is official. China and North Korea also hit

Brussels There are four China-registered companies and North Korea’s Defense Minister among the nearly 200 individuals and entities that the EU hit with the adoption of the 13th package of sanctions against Russia since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine. For the first time — just ahead of the second anniversary of the conflict – there is a rift with Beijing: 106 individuals and 88 entities were added to a blacklist of more than 2,000 individuals whom Brussels holds responsible for “actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” Therefore, they are banned from entering EU territory, and assets held in Member States are frozen. The designations adopted today mainly concern the military and defense sectors: of the companies and individuals affected, over 140 are part of the Russian military-industrial complex, which produces missiles, drones, anti-aircraft missile systems, military vehicles, high-tech components for weapons, and other military equipment.

Strong signals against the Kremlin’s partners as well: the EU has targeted 10 Russian companies and individuals involved in the shipment of armaments from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Russia, as well as Kang Sun-nam, Defense Minister of Kim Jong-un’s regime, and several Belarusian companies and individuals providing support to the Russian military. To disrupt the supply chain for the development and production of military drones, Brussels imposed sanctions on four companies registered in China and ones registered in Kazakhstan, India, Serbia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, operating in the electronic components sector.

“As we reach the sad mark of two years since Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union keeps up the pressure on Russia,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, pointing out that in addition to targeting those who supply military equipment to Russia, Brussels has identified additional perpetrators “responsible for the illegal deportation and military re-education of Ukrainian children.” Indeed, the new lists also include 15 individuals and two entities involved in the forced transfer, deportation, and military indoctrination of Ukrainian children, including in Belarus.

Through the thirteen packages of sanctions on Moscow, the EU has frozen Russian assets worth more than 200 billion euros in two years. According to data from the European Commission, the fact that – despite Western economic sanctions – the Russian economy continues to grow on paper is due substantially to “sharply rising” military spending, which in 2024 will represent 6 percent of GDP or about 109 billion euros. In short, Russia’s economy has become a war economy, with the ruble dropping by more than 20 percent against the dollar in 2023 and military spending increasing by 79 percent between 2021 and 2023, surpassing social expenditure for the first time.