Ukraine expects EU to approve 13th package of sanctions against Russia this month - PM

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at a briefing with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Kyiv on Wednesday, February 7, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We appreciate the European Union's consistent support for sanctions against Russia for its aggression against the Ukrainian state. The Kremlin is currently investing a lot of media efforts to reinforce the narrative that sanctions are not working. They are doing this merely because sanctions are an effective tool of pressure. We have to further strengthen them. We expect the next 13th package of sanctions to be adopted already this month," Shmyhal said.

At the same time, he added that this year it is necessary to form the final instrument for the confiscation and use of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. He welcomed the efforts of the EU, which open the way for the use of profits from frozen Russian assets, as well as the initiative of the European Commission to confiscate the income obtained as a result of the violation of European sanctions.

"We continue to emphasize that the use of profits from Russian assets is only the first, intermediate step. Currently, the priority is to create a legal mechanism that will allow the confiscation of frozen Russian assets, including the sovereign assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and direct them to Ukraine's needs," Shmyhal added.

Before the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union plans to approve a 13th package of restrictive measures against Russia, which will apply to more than 200 individuals and companies.