EU approves new sanctions regime against Russia for ‘hybrid activities’

BRUSSELS, October 8. /TASS/. The European Union has approved a new mechanism of sanctions against Russia for allegedly taking “hybrid activities” and interfering in elections abroad, according to a resolution of the EU Council.
“The Council today established a new framework for restrictive measures,” the document says.
It specifies that this mechanism is aimed against certain “Russia’s destabilizing actions abroad.” Restrictions will be imposed for interference in elections and “hybrid activities” which “undermine the fundamental values of the EU and its Member States, their security, independence and integrity, as well as those of international organizations and third countries.”
The sanctions imply creating another blacklist of individuals and legal entities whose assets are subject to blocking in European jurisdictions. Individuals will also be banned from entering the EU. In general, these sanctions are no different from the previously introduced European sanctions against Russia. Decisions on what to consider “hybrid actions” and “interference” will be made exclusively by the EU Council on the proposal of EU members or its foreign policy service.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, issued a separate statement in connection with the approval of the new sanctions mechanism, where he provided a list of “hybrid threats ” that Brussels accuses Russia of in relation to EU and NATO countries today including “cyber-attacks, information manipulation and interference campaigns, cases of arson, vandalism and sabotage, including against our critical infrastructure as well as, instrumentalization of migration and other disruptive actions.” Borrell also believes that Russia “continue to disrupt satellite communications, violate European airspace and conduct attacks physical attacks against individuals on the territory of the EU.”
The EU started to introduce sanctions against Russia in the spring of 2014. In total, restrictions have targeted about 3,500 individuals and legal entities, including the leadership of Russia and Belarus, as well as representatives of China, the DPRK, Iran, Syria and a number of other countries. The EU has almost completely banned its businesses from contacting the Russian Federation, cutting itself off from the Russian market and resources. The EU sanctions against Russia are record-breaking in scale in history and are in fact an attempt to introduce an economic blockade, in practice ensuring the ever-increasing self-isolation of Europe from Russia and its closest allies.