BRUSSELS – Western Balkans countries aligned themselves with two restrictive decisions recently taken by the EU in the context of the war in Ukraine and the Russian occupation of parts of the country, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated today. These decisions were adopted on 23 and 26 February, and imply the extension of the current EU punitive measures.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova and Ukraine have also aligned with these decisions by the Council of the EU.
While Serbia has not aligned itself with most EU sanctions against Russia, it has made exceptions for certain measures. The EU decisions in question only extend the measures with which Serbia has already aligned itself.
The decision reached on 23 February implies the extension of the “restrictive measures in response to the illegal recognition, occupation or annexation by the Russian Federation of certain non-government controlled areas of Ukraine”, until 24 February 2027.
According to this decision, import of goods and other forms of commercial cooperation with non-government-controlled areas of Ukraine in the oblasts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia shall be prohibited.
The decision agreed on 26 February refers to the extension of the “restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Ukraine”, until 6 March 2027. These measures include former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, as well as leading members of Ukraine’s leadership from 2010-2014.
Sanctions against Yanukovych and others were first imposed in March 2014 by the Council of the European Union and subsequently extended each year, due to abuse of state resources and human rights violations during the 2013-2014 Ukrainian crisis, which led to the annexation of Crimea and the declaration of independence of Donetsk and Luhansk.
