The European Union’s proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia could affect companies in Central Asia, including firms in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as Brussels moves to tighten controls on sanctions circumvention.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have been named among the countries whose organisations may face new restrictions, although Brussels has yet to disclose which businesses could be affected.
Announcing the measures, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the bloc plans to intensify pressure on Moscow by targeting networks and structures used to bypass existing sanctions.
“Brick by brick, we are collapsing the foundations of Russia's war economy,” Kallas wrote on social media platform X. “Today, we are presenting our proposals for a 21st sanctions package against Russia. This includes a temporary freeze of the Russian oil price cap and designations of institutions used by Moscow to generate revenues and circumvent EU sanctions. It will target banks, weapons manufacturers, oil traders, refineries, and crypto operators in third countries.”
The package also includes additional export control measures affecting 50 companies worldwide that the EU says are linked to supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex.
More than 30 entities connected to drone production could be added to the sanctions list, alongside companies from China, Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates and India, Kallas said.
However, the EU has not yet identified which companies from Central Asia could be included. The European Commission has also not published the list of entities under consideration, leaving the potential impact on businesses in the region unclear.
Alongside measures targeting foreign organisations, the proposed package includes restrictions on dozens of Russian banks, cryptocurrency platforms, oil sector companies and businesses linked to arms production. Brussels is also seeking to ban exports to Russia of certain metals, alloys, chemicals and components that could potentially be used in military manufacturing.
European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said the 21st sanctions package could be formally presented by 14 June. It would then require approval from all EU member states before coming into force.
This would not be the first time companies from Central Asia have been included in EU sanctions. In the bloc’s 20th package, Kazakhstan-based United Trading Group LLP was added to the list after EU authorities said it had supplied chemicals used in semiconductor wafer processing.
The same package also marked the first inclusion of entities from Kyrgyzstan. Keremet Bank and Capital Bank were placed under EU restrictions over concerns that they may have been used to bypass sanctions against Russia, including through the SPFS financial messaging system, which has been under EU sanctions since 2024.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations...
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United St...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The death toll in a suicide attack at a police compound in northwest Pakistan has reached 31, AFP reported on Saturday, citing a police official.
Azerbaijan has rejected France’s justification for advising its citizens against travel to the country, after Paris cited risks of arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment