EU prepares sanctions against ships carrying weapons from North Korea to Russia

Reuters reports this with reference to sources in the European Union.

The publication notes that the European Commission is expected to propose sanctions against ships delivering North Korean military equipment to Russia. The Commission also seeks to impose sanctions on oil tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet" that transport Russian oil "beyond the limit" of G7 oil prices.

Western powers have accused North Korea of supplying weapons, including ballistic missiles and ammunition, to fuel the Russian military machine.

In February, the United States said that since September, North Korea had delivered more than 10,000 containers of ammunition and related materials.

The list of sanctioned organizations will include 40 companies. These include Russian firms that purchase equipment for the military, as well as third-country companies that have sold electronics, semiconductors, and microchips intended for military use to Russia.

According to the document, the third-country companies are located in the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and China and sold equipment from the EU and the US to Russia.

According to the publication's sources, the Commission will hold informal talks with EU member states this week before presenting its proposal to the Council for discussion.

• On April 25, the German government supported a proposal to add Russian liquefied natural gas to the 14th package of sanctions against the EU's embargo on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas.