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EU to introduce fifth package of sanctions against Russia

Sanctions being prepared stipulate further export bans, worth €10 billion, in crucial areas, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen revealed

BRUSSELS, April 5. /TASS/. The European Union is preparing the fifth package of sanctions against Russia, providing in particular restrictions of Russian coal import, the ban on transactions with four Russian banks, on export of semiconductors and on calls of Russian ships to EU ports in particular, President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.

"We are proposing a 5th package of sanctions," she said. The package comprises "a ban on Russian and Russian operated vessels from accessing EU ports and a ban on Russian and Belarusian road transport operators," von der Leyen added.

Sanctions being prepared stipulate "further export bans, worth €10 billion, in crucial areas: advanced semiconductors, machinery and transport equipment," the EC President said.

The EC will also introduce "targeted measures, such as a ban on participation of Russian companies in public procurement in the EU and exclusion of all financial support, EU or national to Russian public bodies," she added.

"A full transaction ban on 4 key Russian banks, among them VTB, the 2nd largest Russian bank," von der Leyen continued. There will also be "an import ban on coal from Russia, worth €4 billion per year, cutting another important revenue source for Russia," she noted.

"Finally, we are also proposing further listings of individuals," the EC President said. "We are also working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports, and reflecting on some of the ideas of the Member States, like taxes or specific payment channels such as an escrow account," she concluded.