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France: EU Has Approved New Sanctions Package Against Russians, Belarus Banks

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 5:23 am | < 1 Minute Read

The yacht *Amore Vero* is docked in the Mediterranean resort of La Ciotat, France, Thursday, March 3, 2022. French authorities have seized the yacht linked to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, as part of EU sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The boat arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 for repairs and was slated to stay until April 1, but was seized to prevent an attempted departure. (AP Photo/Bishr Eltoni, File)

France said on Wednesday that member states of the European Union had approved a new sanctions package targeting Russian oligarchs as well as Belarus banks over the Ukraine invasion, ahead of a two-day summit of European leaders scheduled Thursday and Friday in Versailles, outside Paris. These include the maritime sector as well as three Belarus banks, to be excluded from SWIFT.

Britain said on Wednesday it had impounded a plane connected to a Russian billionaire under new aviation sanctions which give authorities the power to detain any Russian aircraft and to ban exports of aviation or space-related goods to Russia.

The measures to strengthen action against Russian aircraft mean it is a criminal offense for any to fly or land in the United Kingdom.

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