Russia Give Sanctions To European Officials Again, This Time Is The European Commissioner All The Way To Head Of Military Infrastructure's Turn

Illustration of the European Union. (Wikimedia Commons/Thijs ter Haar)

JAKARTA - Russia has again announced sanctions against a number of EU officials, parliamentarians, public figures, and journalists suspected of being responsible for the sanctions and fueling anti-Russian feelings.

"The restrictions apply to the top European Union leaders, including a number of European commissioners and heads of the European Union's military structures, as well as most members of the European Parliament who promote anti-Russian policies," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, citing Reuters April 1.

Moscow said its blacklist this time also included representatives from several EU member states as well as public figures and journalists, whom it said were "personally responsible for promoting illegal anti-Russian sanctions, inciting Russophobic sentiment and violating the rights and freedoms of people who speak the Russian language."

The European Union, United States, and many other Western countries have imposed massive economic and political sanctions on Russia, some Russian media, and prominent or wealthy Russians in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

The sanctions imposed in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 were intended to carry out demilitarization and denazification, not to occupy territory, and not to target civilians.

Russia has previously responded to Western sanctions and a number of other countries, also by imposing sanctions. The latest, another 'retaliatory' move when President Vladimir Putin required buyers of Russian gas to pay in rubles or cut supplies, was said to take effect today.