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EU Imposes Sanctions on Putin's Daughters, Japan Bans Russian Coal Imports

The 27-nation bloc also formally approved Friday an embargo on coal imports. It's the first time that sanctions from the EU and Japan target Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine

Mikhail Klimentyev | AFP | Getty Images

The European Union has imposed sanctions on two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a new package of measures targeting Russia's economy, businessmen and oligarchs in retaliation for the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, according to two EU officials.

The EU included Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova in its updated list of individuals facing an assets freeze and travel ban. The two EU officials from different EU member countries spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the updated list of individuals and entities sanctioned has not been published yet.

The move from the European bloc follows a similar move two days earlier by the United States.

In the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv, the EU decided to impose a fifth package of measures.

“These latest sanctions were adopted following the atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in Bucha and other places under Russian occupation," said Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat. “The aim of our sanctions is to stop the reckless, inhuman and aggressive behavior of the Russian troops and make clear to the decision makers in the Kremlin that their illegal aggression comes at a heavy cost."

But many in the Ukraine government want tougher measures that will have a quicker impact on the war.

“Some countries may want to exhaust the Russians economically rather than stop them, while the Ukrainians are shedding their blood. We don’t accept that,” said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk “The idea of the sanctions should be not just to exhaust the Russians in the longer term, but to stop them within months, not years.”

In addition to sanctions on individuals and members of their families, oligarchs and high-ranking Kremlin officials, the 27-nation bloc also formally approved Friday an embargo on coal imports starting in August, as well as a full transaction ban on four key Russian banks representing 23% of market share in the Russian banking sector.

Also, vessels registered under the Russian flag are now prohibited to access EU ports, with an exception for agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid and energy.

This is the first time that EU sanctions target Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine. According to the EU council, imports of coal into the region are currently worth 8 billion euros per year.

Japan also announced Friday it will phase out imports of Russian coal and oil and ban imports of Russian lumber, vodka and other goods, and will prohibit new Japanese investment in Russia. It will also step up sanctions against Russian banks and freeze assets of about 400 more individuals and groups.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Moscow must be held accountable for “war crimes” in Ukraine and pointed to a “critical moment” now in efforts to get Russia’s government to end its invasion of Ukraine.

Still, reduction of Russian fossil fuel imports is a difficult choice for resource-poor Japan, and could mean a shift for its energy policy toward more renewables and nuclear power. Russia accounts for about 11% of Japanese coal imports.

Earlier Friday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry announced it was expelling eight Russian diplomats and trade officials, joining similar moves in European countries.

The EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports.

EU officials said the impact of the bloc’s sanctions so far over the first four weeks shows that imports into the 27 nations from Russia dropped off by 9% in terms of value, and over 20% in terms of volume. Trade from the EU to Russia has fallen by three quarters.

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Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this story.

This is a live update. Click here for complete coverage of the crisis in Ukraine.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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