EU's tenth package of sanctions to target not only politicians, but also propagandists - von der Leyen

The EU's tenth package of sanctions will target not only Russian political and military leaders, but also propagandists who are poisoning the public space at home and abroad.

European Commission President Ursula von den Leyen said this at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel.

"Russia must pay for the destruction caused and the blood spilled. In the next days, we will propose the tenth package of sanctions. First, we will impose sanctions on a number of political and military leaders. […] But we will also target Putin's propagandists, because their lies are poisoning the public space in Russia and abroad. [...] We are going after them," von der Leyen said.

She noted that the leadership of the European institutions heard the messages very well during their recent visit to Kyiv, when President Zelensky insisted on such a step.

Secondly, the package will include an additional exports ban worth more than EUR 10 billion. "This will further starve Russia's military machine and continue to shake the foundation of its economy," she said.

Earlier reports said that the tenth package of sanctions against Russia could be adopted before the first-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Photo: European Union