Russia’s ‘Night Wolves’ biker gang to face EU ban

The 69-year previous was cited for “actively supporting Russian state propaganda by, publicly denying Ukraine’s proper to statehood and calling for the ‘denazification’ in addition to the ‘de-Ukrainisation’ of the nation”, the doc, seen by EUobserver stated.

Certainly one of his banned associates, Josef Hambalek, is a Slovak nationwide who’s “president of the Europe chapter”.

And Slovakia should freeze his property and cease him from crossing into different EU states if the ban is agreed later this week.

The brand new blacklist targets 47 people and eight entities, in addition to banning imports of Russian gold.

Most people are Russian army commanders and politicians or Ukrainian quislings in occupied territories.

However the listing contains Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, two Russian actors accused of pro-war propaganda (Sergey Bezrukov and Vladimir Mashkov), and a Russian tycoon (Rostech chairman Sergei Chemezov).

And it features a few family of previously-sanctioned Russian oligarchs accused of attempting to cover their cash.

Deripaska strikes

In a single instance, Oleg Deripaska transferred properties in France, Washington DC, and within the unique ski-resort of Lech in Austria to his cousin Pavel Ezoubov, the EU doc stated — however Ezoubov is now additionally dealing with an asset-freeze.

The brand new EU listing additionally categorically restricts the actions of Russian lender Sberbank in Europe — Russia’s largest financial institution.

It bans delivery and arms companies and nationalist teams akin to Russia’s ‘Younger Military’ youth affiliation and the Russkiy Mir Basis.

In financial measures, the EU is getting ready “to ban the direct or oblique import, buy or switch of gold, which constitutes Russia’s most vital export after vitality”.

It’s also tweaking its earlier measures to clarify that delivery companies bringing meals or fertiliser from Russia to ravenous markets is not going to be penalised.

The EU is planning to introduce derogations to “the asset freeze and the prohibition to make funds and financial assets obtainable to designated banks” to “keep away from disruptions within the funds channels for agricultural merchandise”.

The EU “is dedicated to avoiding all measures which could result in meals insecurity across the globe” and none of its sanctions cowl “in any means the commerce in agricultural and meals merchandise, together with wheat and fertilisers, between third international locations and Russia,” its sanctions invoice stated.

The identical goes for medical and pharmaceutical merchandise, it added.

However on the identical time, Europe is tightening up sanctions implementation.

EU states should report back to the European Fee which property they’ve found and frozen six weeks after a brand new particular person or entity is listed, as an example.

The newest sanctions package deal is the seventh since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

The EU beforehand banned Russian oil and coal, blacklisted most of its banks, and designated tons of of individuals together with Russian president Vladimir Putin and his household.

The brand new gold ban falls far in need of earlier speak of an EU ban on Russian fuel and Gazprombank, the Russian financial institution which handles fuel funds, stays open for enterprise, nonetheless.

The newest blacklist additionally incorporates few huge fish after Hungary just lately vetoed the designation of Russia’s high priest and war-cheerleader patriarch Kirill.

The Night time Wolves used to journey to occasions in Europe by way of Poland, inflicting outrage alongside the best way and infrequently dealing with native bans.

It has European chapters in Bulgaria and the Western Balkans in addition to Slovakia.

Its boss, Zaldostanov, was known as a “shut affiliate” of Putin within the EU recordsdata.

Zaldostanov additionally took half in propaganda pageants in Russia-occupied Crimea in 2014 which depicted the West as satanic forces raping Kyiv.