New Sanctions: EU Plans to Ban Russian Financing of European Parties Ahead of European Parliament Elections
The European Union sees a risk of Russian interference in the European elections in June and is proposing to ban European political parties, think tanks and other groups from receiving funding from Russia as part of the next 14 sanctions package aimed at punishing Moscow for its war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
The push to cut off Russian funding of politicians in the EU comes amid growing concerns about disinformation promoted by Moscow ahead of the European Parliament elections in early June.
Earlier, France, along with the Baltic States, Poland, and the Netherlands, called on the bloc to impose sanctions on Russia's election interference.
In March, Czech intelligence services said they had uncovered a Russian network that was trying to influence politics and public opinion across the continent through the media.
The bloc's executive body, the European Commission, is recommending that member states agree to steps under its 14th sanctions package, the newspaper said.
Among the measures under discussion are a ban on imports of Russian helium, tighter export restrictions on manganese ore and other rare earth components, and a ban on port access for about 11 vessels suspected of helping Russia in its military operations, Bloomberg reports, citing people who wished to remain anonymous to discuss the matter.
The new sanctions also include a ban on the broadcasting of four additional media outlets in Europe.
In particular, European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová said on Sunday that the EU would impose sanctions against Voice of Europe, a website accused of spreading pro-Russian disinformation, as well as Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Ria Novosti and Izvestia.
"We don't recognise them as media outlets, they are just tools of Putin's propaganda," Jourova said in an interview with Czech public television.
The proposals must be unanimously agreed by the bloc's 27 member states to come into force.