EU imposes fresh sanctions on Russia

Gulf Today Report

The European Union vowed to increase pressure on Moscow "until Ukraine is liberated" as it adopted a 10th package of sanctions on Russia on Saturday, a day after the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

On the other side, Russia's senior diplomat to the United Nations accused the West on Sunday of "cowboy" methods and "arm twisting" of some countries during last week's United Nations General Assembly vote that demanding Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

Before this latest round of measures, the EU had already targeted almost 1,400 Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, government ministers, lawmakers and oligarchs believed loyal to the Kremlin, but also officers believed responsible for war crimes or targeting civilian infrastructure.

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The bloc had also frozen the assets of more than 170 organisations, ranging from political parties and paramilitary groups to banks, private companies and media outlets accused of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Russia has halted supplies of oil to Poland via the Druzhba pipeline, Daniel Obajtek, chief executive officer of Polish refiner PKN Orlen, said on Saturday.

Ukrainian military reports suggested that villages near the key town remained under Kyiv's control.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday he will visit China in early April, in part to seek Chinese help with ending Russia's invasion.

Meanwhile, finance chiefs of the world's largest economies strongly condemned Moscow on Saturday for its war on Ukraine, with only China and Russia itself declining to sign a joint statement.