On 24 February 2022, the President of the Russian Federation announced a military operation in Ukraine and Russian armed forces began an attack on Ukraine. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. In its conclusions of 24 February 2022, the European Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. By its illegal military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, and undermining European and global security and stability. The European Council agreed on further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its actions, in close coordination with the Union’s partners and allies. On 25 February 2022, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2022/329 (2), which amended the criteria of designation to include persons and entities supporting and benefitting from the Government of the Russian Federation, persons and entities providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation, and natural or legal persons associated with listed persons or entities. In its conclusions of 24 March 2022, the European Council stated that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine grossly violates international law and is causing massive loss of life and injury to civilians, and that the Union remains ready to close loopholes and target actual and possible circumvention of the restrictive measures already adopted, as well as to move quickly with further coordinated robust sanctions on Russia and Belarus, to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression. In view of the gravity of the situation, the Council considers that it is appropriate to impose restrictive measures on leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to, and on persons supporting or benefitting from, the Government of the Russian Federation and on natural persons associated with those persons, including family members unduly benefitting from them. The Council also considers that the Ministers and members of the ‘People’s Council’ of the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ should be subject to restrictive measures. Furthermore, the Council considers that companies supporting, materially or financially, or benefitting from the Government of the Russian Federation and materially or financially supporting actions which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine should also be subject to restrictive measures. As a result, 216 individuals and 18 entities should be added to the list of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 269/2014. Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 should therefore be amended accordingly.
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/581 of 8 April 2022
Posted in Posts - Ukraine Territorial Integrity Regime.
