EU proposes new sanctions on Russia and Belarus targeting aluminum and media
The European Commission has proposed new sanctions on Russia and Belarus, aiming for unanimous agreement by late February, marking the third anniversary of the Ukraine invasion. The sanctions will target Russian aluminum, media, and the "shadow fleet," but not energy. This round, the 16th in three years, follows Hungary's recent veto threat over previous sanctions. While Hungary approved a rollover of existing measures, the new proposal includes minor restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas and a ban on Russian state media access in the EU. The sanctions also suggest an import ban on primary aluminum from Russia and export bans on gaming controllers and consoles to prevent their use in drone production.