Top EU Official: EU states circumvent sanctions
EU member states are circumventing sanctions on Russia, according to a senior EU official. Paolo Gentiloni, the European Commissioner for Economy, told the 麻豆社 that 鈥榦bviously circumvention is there and we have to address it鈥�.
In an interview with the 麻豆社鈥檚 HARDtalk programme, Mr Gentiloni told Stephen Sackur that to combat these attempts, 鈥榳e have a special envoy on circumvention who is touring all European member states to check鈥e work to stop this鈥�.
But Mr Gentiloni emphasised the depth of the placed on Russia by the EU, calling them 鈥榬eally, very impressive鈥�. He said the EU鈥檚 response to Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year was 鈥榠ncomparable鈥� to its response when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. 鈥業n this case [in 2014] it was very difficult to agree on personal sanctions鈥� he said. 鈥楴ow we have 11 packages of sanctions.鈥�
