EU sanctions imposed over Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine have been strongly criticised by Russian diplomats, who argue that the measures lack legitimacy without United Nations approval.
According to Russian state media, the Russian delegation to the European Union stated that only sanctions endorsed by the UN Security Council can be considered lawful under international law.
In its statement, Moscow said the sanctions amount to unilateral coercive measures that violate the UN Charter.
“Only sanctions imposed by a UN Security Council decision are legitimate,” the statement said, as reported by the TASS news agency.
It added that all other restrictive measures represent “arbitrary actions and attacks contrary to international law.”
Allegations of economic pressure
Russian officials also accused the European Union of restricting exports of certain Russian goods to countries cooperating with Moscow.
According to RIA, the statement described these actions as “economic coercion and extraterritorial enforcement of sanctions” without legal jurisdiction.
EU adopts new sanctions package
The EU recently adopted its 20th sanctions package against Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The package was approved after Slovakia and Hungary withdrew their objections, following the resumption of oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline through Ukrainian territory.
The EU had initially aimed to finalise the package on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion on 24 February.
Also read: EU approves €90bn Ukraine loan and new Russia sanctions package
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