The European Union is about to impose a series of tougher punishments against Russia over son invasion of Ukraine, the head of the European Commission announced on Friday.
“We will deny Russia the status of most favored nation in our markets. This will remove important advantages that Russia enjoys as a member of the WTO (World Trade Organization),” said Ursula von der Leyen.
To say that Russian companies will no longer have a privileged position in EU, von der Leyen swore: “We will ensure that Russia cannot obtain funding, loans or any other benefit from these institutions.”
She also said they were working so that “the Russian state and its elites cannot use crypto assets to circumvent sanctions.
The EU, she added, will ban exports of all EU luxury goods from countries of the bloc to Russia, saying: “Those who support Putin’s war machine should no longer able to enjoy their lavish lifestyle as the bombs drop on innocent people in Ukraine.”
On Wednesday, the EU agreed to a new round of sanctions targeting senior Russian officials and oligarchs in reprisals for that of Moscow military transaction in neighboring Ukraine.
At least 564 civilians were killed and 957 others injured in Ukraine from the beginning of the war on On February 24, the United Nations declared, while also warning that the conditions on the ground make it difficult to check true number.
More than 2.5 millions people fled to neighbors countries, with about 2 millions more displaced inside Ukraine, according to the UN refugee agency.
