European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference on the EU membership applications by Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on June 17, 2022.
(KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
BRUSSELS / MOSCOW / KYIV / TEHRAN – The European Commission on Friday adopted a proposal for a seventh package of measures that will ban the importation of Russian gold.
The proposal is part of a new set of measures that are intended to improve the implementation and effectiveness of the EU's six earlier packages of sanctions against Russia.
READ MORE: Russia legalizes parallel imports amid Western sanctions
In a statement, the commission said the proposal will be discussed by the member states in the EU Council next week before it is adopted.
We are proposing today to tighten our hard-hitting EU sanctions against the Kremlin, enforce them more effectively and extend them until January 2023. Moscow must continue to pay a high price for its aggression.
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President
The proposal was issued jointly by the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
Dabbed the "maintenance and alignment" package, it clarifies earlier provisions to strengthen legal certainty for operators and enforcement by the member states. Among others, it proposes to tighten dual-use and advanced technology export controls.
It also aims to further align the EU's sanctions with those of its allies and partners, especially the G7 countries.
"…We are proposing today to tighten our hard-hitting EU sanctions against the Kremlin, enforce them more effectively and extend them until January 2023. Moscow must continue to pay a high price for its aggression," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a statement.
The EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, added: "The EU's sanctions are tough and hard-hitting. We continue to target those close to Putin and the Kremlin."
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He said he will also propose to expand the EU's list of sanctioned individuals and entities, who are subject to assets freezes and their ability to travel is curtailed.
The Commission stressed that EU sanctions do not target in any way the trade in agricultural products between third countries and Russia.
The next review of EU sanctions is scheduled at the end of January 2023.
Russia bans entry for Japanese lawmakers
On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry said the nation has banned entry for 384 Japanese lawmakers in a retaliatory move.
The Japanese officials "have taken a hostile anti-Russian stance," and have "made baseless accusations" against Russia in the context of the country's special military operation in Ukraine, said Russian Foreign Ministry
In response to Japan's decision to impose personal sanctions against a large group of Russian lawmakers in April this year, "a decision has been made to deny entry into Russia for 384 members of the House of Representatives of the National Diet of Japan from July 14," according to a statement.
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The Japanese officials "have taken a hostile anti-Russian stance," and have "made baseless accusations" against Russia in the context of the country's special military operation in Ukraine, it added.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry imposed additional sanctions against Russian individuals and entities on April 12 over the situation in Ukraine. Japan froze the assets of 398 Russian individuals, most of whom were members of the State Duma.
Ukraine gets M270 multiple launch rocket systems
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday that Ukraine has received M270 multiple launch rocket systems from its partners.
"The Long Hand family of the Ukrainian army has been enlarged: the first MLRS M270 have arrived," Reznikov tweeted.
Reznikov did not specify which country provided Ukraine with such weapon systems.
In May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was interested in getting the M270 MLRS from the Group of Seven countries.
Last month, Ukrainian media outlet Ukraine's Military Center reported that Britain and Norway agreed to transfer the M270 MLRS to Ukraine.
This handout photo courtesy of US Navy shows the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds" and the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, debut a F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Super Hornet flight formation known as the "Super Delta" during a joint training evolution over Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, California, March 2, 2021. (CODY HENDRIX / US NAVY / AFP)
US may train Ukrainian pilots on F-15, F-16 jets
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office said on Friday that the United States may train Ukrainian pilots on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office said on Friday that the United States may train Ukrainian pilots on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.
The US House of Representatives has approved an amendment to the US defense budget for the 2023 fiscal year that will enable the beginning of the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-15 and F-16 jets, Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.
The training program for the Ukrainian pilots will cost $100 million, Yermak said.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova said that the US defense budget bill for 2023 envisages allocating Ukraine $1 billion in security aid in the 2023 fiscal year, which runs between Oct 1, 2022, and Sept 30, 2023.
To take effect, the draft law must be passed by the US Senate and signed by US President Joe Biden.
Iran rejects US claim of sending drones to Russia
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Friday rejected a recent US claim that Iran is providing Russia with drones for use in Ukraine as "baseless" and politically motivated.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, according to a press release on the foreign ministry's website, after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that "information" indicates Iran is preparing to provide Russia with "up to several hundred" drones, including weapons-capable ones.
Such allegations, which came just ahead of the ongoing US President Joe Biden's Middle East tour, are aimed at "achieving specific political goals and purposes," the top Iranian diplomat noted.
"Just as we said at the beginning of the (Ukrainian) crisis, we are opposed to war in Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine and also Ukraine," Amir-Abdollahian told Kuleba.
