EU, Considering Expansion of Sanctions Against Russia Targeting China... Retreat Due to Germany's Opposition

The European Union (EU) is considering expanding its sanctions against Russia to include third countries such as China in an effort to cut off Russia's war funding. This move is seen as an attempt to moderate the level of sanctions after Germany opposed the plan, expressing concerns about its potential impact on future relations between Europe and China.

According to major foreign media on the 16th (local time), the EU Commission presented a softened revised draft during discussions on sanctions against Russia with the 27 member states held in Brussels, Belgium.

The original draft mentioned restricting trade with countries that circumvent or evade sanctions against Russia, but the revised draft includes an alternative approach that classifies individual companies in third countries as sanction targets.

Foreign media analyzed that this reflects Germany's concerns that if the sanctions are finalized as originally drafted, China could be directly affected, potentially worsening relations.

Earlier, the EU officially announced the promotion of the 11th round of sanctions against Russia, indicating that this time the focus would be on preventing violations and evasion of already imposed sanctions. The implementation of the sanctions requires approval from all 27 member states. The specific sanctions will be officially announced once the agreement is finalized.