Here’s a breakdown of the key points from the provided text:
UK and EU Sanctions Against Russia:
Price Cap on Russian Oil: The UK has joined the EU in lowering the price cap on Russian oil. Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated this is intended to “turn the screw on the Kremlin’s war chest” and increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Aim of Sanctions: The overarching goal of these sanctions is to undermine Russia’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.
Previous Sanctions: The EU sanctions are the 18th round as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia’s Response: Former Russian President dmitry Medvedev believes Russia’s economy will survive the sanctions and that Moscow will continue striking Ukraine “with increasing force.”
Russia’s Evasion Tactics: Russia has been increasing oil exports to China and India and using a “shadow fleet” of oil tankers to circumvent western sanctions.
UK Sanctions on Russian Military Intelligence Officers:
Largest Action Against Russian Spies: the UK has imposed sanctions on 18 Russian GRU military intelligence officers, described as the “biggest action against Russian spies” since the salisbury Novichok poisonings in 2018.
GRU Unit’s Involvement: One sanctioned unit, Unit 26165, is accused of targeting Mariupol, including a strike on the city’s theatre that killed civilians.
Spyware and Novichok: intelligence officers involved in placing spyware on Yulia Skripal’s phone (who was targeted with Novichok alongside her father) have also been sanctioned.
Targeting UK Institutions: The Foreign Office stated that Russia has targeted UK media,telecoms,energy infrastructure,and political institutions.
Statement from UK Foreign Secretary: foreign Secretary Lammy stated, “The Kremlin shoudl be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won’t tolerate it.Putin’s hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve.”
Broader International Context:
US Pressure: European leaders are looking for the US to exert further pressure on Russia.
Donald Trump’s Threat: Earlier in the week, Donald Trump threatened Russia with severe tariffs if a peace deal wasn’t reached within 50 days, indicating growing impatience with Putin.
Disinformation Campaign: the UK has also sanctioned three leaders of the “African Initiative,” a Russian-funded social media campaign accused of disinformation operations in West Africa.
Russia’s Denial: Russia has previously denied involvement in interfering with democratic systems or sabotaging countries.
Impact of Sanctions:
* Financial Restrictions: Sanctioned individuals or entities can face restrictions, including the freezing of financial assets.
