EU sanctions Russian investment fund over Ukraine conflict resolution
The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund said that the EU elite is afraid of peace, but "Europe is waking up".
According to TASS, Director General of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev – the Russian President's special envoy for foreign economic cooperation, stated that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is calling for sanctions against RDIF because the fund is helping to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict and establish ties between Russia and the US.
“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is quietly exchanging letters with Pfizer, but is calling for new sanctions against the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Why? Because RDIF promotes peace in Ukraine, supports EU businesses in Russia and builds relations between the US and Russia,” Dmitriev wrote in English on the social network X.
Mr Dmitriev also added that the EU elites were afraid of peace, but "Europe is waking up".
Earlier, Ms. von der Leyen proposed imposing sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund, its subsidiaries and investment projects. According to Ms. Leyen, "in this way, an important channel for financing projects to modernize the Russian economy and strengthen the country's industrial base will be severely limited."
The sanctions will include a ban on European businesses “engaging in any transactions related to Nord Stream,” blacklisting 77 oil tankers despite attempts to impose a price cap, cutting the oil price cap for Russia from $60 to $45 a barrel, blacklisting 22 other banks, a complete ban on transactions within the EU, and introducing new export restrictions on the export of technology products to Russia.
In addition, Ms. von der Leyen and the head of the EU foreign service, Kaja Kallas, pledged to set new export restrictions on 22 companies, not only from Russia, but also from China, Belarus and other countries, to prevent Russia from evading the sanctions.
However, in reality, no restrictions on Russia's nuclear industry and nuclear exports are included in the EU's draft 18th package of sanctions imposed on Moscow.