Month: February 2023

EU-Russia: X package of “arsenic”

Blog, Conflict, EU

Brussels 20.02.2023 “We are approaching one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine” said the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, while addressing the Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg (pictured).

“Until today, Putin is escalating this illegal aggression, weaponising winter, food and hunger. Russia continues to show its inhuman face with brutal missile terror against civilian targets.

“The European Union has so far reacted with unprecedented support to Ukraine and nine sanctions packages. They are taking a heavy toll on the Russian economy and on the Kremlin’s ability to finance its aggression.

“Today, as the President of the [European] Commission [Ursula von der Leyen] has announced, we are putting forward a 10th package of sanctions against those who are instrumental in the continuation of this brutal war. Taking more measures, tackling the banking sector, access to dual-use technology and targeting, also, advanced technologies.

“Additionally, I am submitting to the Council a list of proposals to sanction almost 100 additional individuals and entities for their role in undermining sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“This includes those responsible for military activities, for political decisions, propaganda, and disinformation.

“We are targeting those involved in inhumane kidnappings, deportations and forced adoption of Ukrainian children to Russia and also those enabling the looting of Ukrainian resources.

“We will again hit hard at the Russian military and defence sector, at the organisations related to them, [and] those responsible for the development of drones that are targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“And these [sanctions] are not [confined] to Russia. Today’s proposal includes a full exports-ban of several Iranian entities involved in the manufacture and provision of unmanned aerial vehicles. Yesterday, at the NATO [Ministerial] meeting, we got clear evidence that this is happening.

“So, we are proposing to sanction more key decision-makers, senior government officials and parliamentarians.

“I am proposing to the Member States to extend our sanctions to the proxy authorities and the so-called judges in the four illegally annexed Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia –who are providing fake legitimacy to the Russian rulers and their illegal decisions.

“We are imposing restrictive measures on media organisations, on persons and organisations who are polluting the public space with disinformation and malicious narratives, adding to the military warfare also through information warfare.

“We will continue to increase pressure on Russia – and we will do it for as long as needed, until Ukraine is liberated from the brutal Russian aggression”.

A new portion of “arsenic” for Russians include the following measures:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell have already announced details of the EU’s proposed 10th package of Russia sanctions. The X-th package of sanctions will include:

Export bans on critical technology and industrial goods, such as electronics, specialised vehicles, machine parts, spare parts for trucks and jet engines, as well as goods used in the construction sector, such as antennas or cranes.
Further restrictions on the export of dual use goods and advanced technology goods, including 47 new electronic components that can be used in Russian weapons systems, including drones, missiles and helicopters.
Export restrictions on specific rare earth materials and thermal cameras.

The addition of VII Iranian entities to the EU’s Russia dual use sanctions. This responds to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards alleged provision of Shahed drones to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
The designation of nearly 100 people and entities, including:

– those involved in kidnappings, deportations and forced adoption of Ukrainian children to Russia;
– those enabling the looting of Ukrainian resources;
– organisations involved in the Russian military and defence sector, including those responsible for the development of drones that are targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure;
– key decision-makers, senior government officials and parliamentarians;
– proxy authorities and judges in non-government-controlled Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia; and
– media organisations, people and entities responsible for disinformation.

Measures to prevent circumvention, including the creation of an “overview” of all frozen assets of the Russian central bank held in the EU alongside Member States. President von der Leyen said that this is crucial in view of the possible use of public Russian assets to fund reconstruction in Ukraine.

President von der Leyen also said that the Commission is organising a Sanctions Coordinators Forum. Subsequently she called on Member States to adopt this package swiftly with the aim of having significant sanctions in place by 24 February 2023, the 1-year anniversary of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Russia: response to two Ukraines

Blog, Europe, Russia

Brussels 08.02.2023 Russian former President Dmitry Medvedev (pictured) recalled that “the division along the 38th parallel (demilitarized zone between the DPRK and South Korea) created two independent countries.”

Medvedev, nowadays the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council has depicted Kiev’s speculation that the West is allegedly ready to split Ukraine “according to the Korean scenario” as the first step towards recognizing the existing territorial realities.

“It is clear that the “Korean scenario” speculation is just wishful thinking: ‘We, the rest of Ukraine, would be under Western control and protection. And then we would reach the level of the Republic of Korea. Also, there would remain some hope for reunification with the former territories’,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, February 7. The politician commented that such hypothetic thinking “is meant for internal use only.”

“There is something else that is noteworthy here,” Medvedev stressed. “Kiev has in fact made a timid hint that there can be no victory. At best, they will follow the country’s division into parts. But in fact, this is the first step towards recognizing the realities that have developed on the ground,” he said.

Medvedev recalled that “the division along the 38th parallel (demilitarized zone between the DPRK and South Korea – TASS) created two independent countries.”

“In the meantime, Donbass and other territories have become part of Russia, which is the largest state with full sovereignty and the most formidable weapons,” Medvedev stressed.

Earlier, a former adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Alexey Arestovich admitted that Ukraine lacked the strength to win and that the Western countries were ready to implement the concept of “two Koreas” in the region. Prior to this, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Alexey Danilov claimed that Kiev might be offered a “Korean option” of the settlement, involving an “equivalent of the 38th parallel.”

As Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also expressed a position of Kremlin, commenting on Kiev’s speculation about alleged discussions between the deputy chief of the Russian presidential staff, Dmitry Kozak, over the possibility of a “Korean option” for a settlement in Ukraine was a media concoction. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Danilov’s statement that Russia might allegedly offer Ukraine a “Korean option” as rumors and far-fetched speculation.