Brussels, 28/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - During the evening of Friday 25 July, the European Union officially imposed sanctions on 15 new people and entities linked to the Ukrainian crisis. Among the people subject to visa bans and asset freezes in the EU are Mikhail Fradkov - the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, and Aleksandr Bortnikov - the head of Russia's FSB federal security service, because they were “involved in shaping the policy of the Russian government threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”.
The Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs believed that these sanctions jeopardised international cooperation in the security domain. “The additional sanctions list is direct proof that the EU has set a course for complete termination of interaction with Russia in international and regional security issues”, it said, condemning these “irresponsible steps” that it said were likely to be “enthusiastically received by advocates of international terrorism”.
The president of the Republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has also had EU sanctions imposed on him because he has “made statements in support of the illegal annexation of Crimea and in support of the armed insurgency in Ukraine”. One of the self-proclaimed leaders of the Donetsk People's Republic, Pavel Gubarev, the first deputy prime minister of this republic, Vladimir Antyufeyev, the minister for foreign affairs responsible for the defence of this republic, Ekaterina Gubareva, the republic's deputy minister for defence, Fedor Berezin and the self-proclaimed president of the Republic of Novorossiya, Valery Kaurov, are also subject to visa bans and assets freezes.
The EU also took out sanctions against nine entities compromising the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine - the Lugansk People's Republic, the Donetsk People's Republic, the Federal State of Novorossiya, the International Union of Public Associations Great Don Army, the Sobol radical paramilitary organisation, the Lugansk Guard self-defence militia, and the illegal armed separatist groups the Army of the South East, the Donbass People's Militia, and the Vostok Batallion.
The Kerch Ferry state ferry enterprise, the Sevastopol commercial seaport, the Kerch commercial seaport, Universal-Avia, the National Association of Producers Massandra, the National Institute of Wine Magarach, the Novy Svet sparkling wine factory, Nizhnyaya Oreandra resort, and the Crimean Azov distillery plant are also on the list because the ownership of these enterprises has been transferred contrary to Ukrainian law.
In total, there are now 87 people and 20 entities that are subject to sanctions in connection with the Ukrainian crisis.
In addition, the EU has widened the legal base to be able to impose sanctions on “persons and entities that actively support or are benefiting from Russian decision makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea or the destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine”. On Monday 28 July, the European ambassadors were due to decide on adding new names to the list of those sanctioned, according to these new criteria. The ambassadors were also due to take further measures to limit trade with, and investment in, Crimea and Sevastopol. (CG)