Disinfo watchdog: Kremlin spreading narrative that EU potential for Russia sanctions already “exhausted”

That’s according to the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"This opinion was expressed by Sergei Lavrov after the EU countries intended to agree on the 7th sanction package, in which they planned to limit the import of gold into the EU, introduce new sanctions lists, and eliminate the existing loopholes," the watchdog, said, referring to RFE/RL’s correspondent Rikard Jozwiak.

The Center recalled that as of late June, about 8,000 sanctions had been imposed on the Russian Federation, which is a record high since World War 2. In terms of sanctions, the Russian Federation surpassed Iran, Syria, and North Korea. The Russian industry lost the opportunity to make international payments, which leads to an increase in unemployment and poverty.

The Center’s analysts believe that this narrative is manipulative, indicating the Kremlin's awareness of the effectiveness of sanctions and an attempt to calm down domestic audiences.

"Of course, the rejection of Russian energy supplies creates difficulties for the EU, but this is the price that the EU is ready to pay for the sake of protecting democracy and international law," the watchdog emphasizes.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on July 21, the Council of the EU supported a proposal to strengthen the effectiveness of six packages of sanctions earlier introduced against Russia. In particular, a ban is imposed on the purchase, import or transfer, directly or indirectly, of gold originating from Russia. The prohibition also applies to jewelry.

The new package of restrictive measures expands the list of controlled goods that can contribute to Russia's military and technological advancements or the development of its defense and security sector, thereby strengthening export controls on dual-use and advanced technologies.

In addition, the new measures extend the current ban on access to ports to avoid sanctions evasion and expand the scope of the ban on accepting deposits, including from legal entities, organizations, or bodies established in third countries and most of which are owned by Russian citizens or other individuals residing in Russia. Acceptance of deposits for non-prohibited cross-border trades will be subject to prior approval by national competent authorities.

The EU also makes a number of clarifications to existing measures, for example in the field of public procurement, aviation, and justice.