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.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
Turkic states are assessing the feasibility of passport-free travel between countries using national ID cards, Kürşad Zorlu, the Deputy Chairman of Türkiye’s ruling AK Party said on Saturday.
European Union measures suspending import duties on 80 per cent of Armenian exports to the bloc came into effect on Saturday. The temporary liberalisation measures are aimed at supporting Armenian producers and exporters following trade restrictions imposed on the country's products by Russia.
Georgia is enjoying one of its biggest and highest-quality grape harvests since independence. By 6 October, growers in the country's main wine-producing region, Kakheti, had delivered 182,210 tonnes of grapes, with 99 per cent rated medium or high quality, despite recent protests over prices.
Uzbekistan has unveiled plans to deepen economic ties with Central Asia and Azerbaijan, proposing shared artificial intelligence infrastructure, a critical minerals alliance and a regional trade strategy extending to 2035.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment