The European Union has failed to put restrictions on export of Russian nuclear fuel and diamonds worth almost 2 bln euro per year into the tenth package of anti-Russia sanctions, striving to pass it by February 24, a diplomatic source in the mission of one of European countries in Brussels told TASS.
"The final proposals announced by the European Commission [on Wednesday] contain no references to restrictions on Russian export of diamonds or nuclear fuel to EU countries, as well as other types of cooperation in the nuclear field. Those were the only proposals of sanctions against Russian export in this package that brings an estimated real profit of almost 2 bln euro to Moscow. Those policies could virtually become the main in the package," the diplomat said.
The EU countries did not have time to approve them, as "the task is to pass the package by February 24," he added. "Those sectors could probably have been brought to restrictions to some extent if there were more time for discussing modalities, but the task is to pass the package by February 24, which will mark one year since the onset of the Russian aggression against Ukraine," the source noted.
The tenth package of sanctions against Russia implies trade restrictions in the amount of 11 bln euros, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this week, adding that the new package includes restrictions on the export of electronic components that Moscow uses for military purposes.
