European Union countries agreed on a 12th package of sanctions against Russia, the European Council said on Thursday, meaning that a phased ban on Russian diamond imports among other measures will come into effect from Jan. 1,
Reuters reports.
The EU has been adding sectoral and individual sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in an attempt to cut off revenues and military equipment feeding Moscow's war machine.
"The European Council welcomes the adoption of the 12th package of sanctions," its concluding statements said.
While the text of the package had been agreed by all countries earlier this week, diplomatic sources said, Austria held back on giving its final approval until late on Thursday. Austria said on Wednesday while it was not opposed, the capital needed time to examine the legal texts.
However, sources familiar with the matter said the country had been attempting to have Raiffeisen Bank International, the biggest Western bank in Russia, struck off a Ukrainian blacklist in return for signing off on fresh European Union sanctions on Russia.
