EU adds Russian Deputy Defense Minister to sanctions list.

This list will most likely include Russian Deputy Defense Minister Antonov, along with two other defense officials and two members of the State Duma.

The list of these new sanctions will soon appear on the official website of the EU press agency on February 16th and will take effect immediately upon publication.

According to Sputnik News, this new list will include 19 individuals along with 9 Russian and Ukrainian organizations that the EU considers to be "destabilizing Ukraine."

An EU meeting (Photo: Sputnik News)

Earlier, at a meeting on January 29 in Brussels, EU foreign ministers said they had prepared a list of new individuals and organizations subject to EU travel bans and asset freezes.

EU foreign ministers also approved extending existing sanctions against 35 organizations and 151 individuals, including many senior Russian officials and opposition leaders in Lugansk and Donetsk, until September of this year. Previously, these sanctions were set to expire on March 15th.

Subsequently, during a meeting in Brussels from February 5-9, EU foreign ministers confirmed the expanded list of individuals and organizations subject to these new sanctions. This list includes Russian Deputy Defense Minister Antonov, along with two other defense officials and two members of the State Duma. The remaining names are Ukrainians.

These new EU sanctions were delayed to pave the way for peace talks in Minsk, Belarus, regarding the situation in Ukraine. At these talks, the leaders of Russia, Germany, Ukraine, and France discussed a 13-point draft plan outlining the necessary steps to bring peace to Ukraine.

Following the adoption of the Minsk agreement on the night of February 14th, EU leaders stated that, as of February 16th, the agreement remains respected by all parties in most conflict zones, with the exception of the Debaltseve hotspot.

According to VOV.VN