European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the 21st sanctions package against Russia in Brussels on Tuesday, in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The package includes a proposal to deny entry to the European Union for anyone who has served in the Russian Armed Forces since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

"We propose for the first time to ban from entry into the European Union anyone who has served in the Russian Armed Forces since the beginning of the war," von der Leyen said. "Europe stays off limits for anyone who has participated in the invasion of Ukraine, simple as that."

The sanctions also target Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of ships, 31 additional banks, and cryptocurrency assets. The oil price cap will remain fixed at $44.10 per barrel until January 2025, despite recent price increases due to the conflict in Iran and the Gulf region.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated, "Brick by brick, we are collapsing the foundations of Russia's war economy." The package also targets metals and alloys used in the aerospace and defense industries.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the Nordic-Baltic Eight summit in Tallinn, Estonia. In response to recent incidents where Ukrainian drones strayed into Baltic airspace, Zelenskyy offered to send drone interception specialists to affected countries, noting that Kyiv had provided similar assistance to Gulf states.

Source: www.dw.com