Poland proposes EU ban on trade with Russia, says prime minister

Poland has proposed to the European Union (EU) that the bloc impose a total ban on trade with Russia, Prime Minister Mateus Morawiecki said on Saturday, calling for tougher sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

“Poland is proposing to add a trade blockade to this sanctions package as soon as possible, [incluindo] both its seaports… it would be better to stop this cruel war”.

European Union member states have agreed to a fourth package of sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, the French EU presidency’s office wrote on Twitter on Monday.

Details of the sanctions were not released, but the French presidency said Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status would be revoked.

That could open the door for the bloc to ban or impose punitive tariffs on Russian goods and put Russia on a par with North Korea or Iran.

The sanctions were set to include an import ban on Russian steel and iron, an export ban on luxury goods including cars worth more than 50,000 euros ($55,000), and a ban on investments in oil and gas companies. in the energy sector, according to diplomatic sources.

They would also add Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich and 14 others to the EU’s list of sanctioned Russian billionaires, diplomats said earlier in the day.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said the EU was working to suspend Russia’s membership rights to key multilateral institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The latest sanctions will formally take effect once they are published in the EU’s official journal, which will follow shortly.

See images of anti-war protests in Ukraine around the world