The European Union is expected to approve a new round of sanctions against Russia on Monday, targeting 150 additional entities and 50 banks, French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad said on Thursday.
Speaking to French broadcaster LCI, Haddad said France had proposed the majority of entities targeted under the latest sanctions package.
“On Monday, we will take new sanctions against Russia, on 150 additional entities, 50 banks and it's France which proposed the bulk of the entities to add,” he said.
The move follows an agreement reached by EU ambassadors in October to expand the bloc's Russia sanctions list by 1,646 names, marking what was described as its largest single expansion.
The October package targeted 743 individuals and 826 entities accused of supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine, as well as77 lawmakers who stood for election in Ukrainian territories under Russian control.
Penalties included travel bans, asset freezes and restrictions on providing financial support to those listed.
Haddad also condemned Moscow's decision to bar two French journalists and two lawmakers from entering Russia on Wednesday.
The four individuals are Le Monde reporter Ariane Chemin, freelance journalist and former Moscow correspondent Paul Gogo, and French lawmakers Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte.
“This is intimidation. France will not be intimidated. I think these lawmakers and these journalists are doing their jobs, these lawmakers are notably very involved in the fight against foreign interference,” Haddad said.
The dispute has further strained relations between Paris and Moscow.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a post on X that Russia's attempt to justify the entry bans as retaliation for France's expulsion of Xenia Fedorova in July “confirmed her ties to Russian authorities”.
Fedorova, accused by French authorities of spreading Russian propaganda, previously headed RT France before becoming a prominent figure on the French news channel CNews and its associated outlets Europe 1 and JDNews.
All three outlets are owned by conservative media tycoon Vincent Bolloré.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Iran has unveiled a new underground missile and drone base, warning that it will respond forcefully to any attack, as tensions persist with the U.S. and oil tankers continue to be struck by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Tajikistan is urging regional allies to step up support for its border with Afghanistan following a series of deadly armed incidents. Despite building more than 80 new border outposts, Dushanbe says it needs further assistance to secure its southern frontier.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow.
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