On Friday, the European Union officially approved fifth round of punishment against Moscow, including a ban on Russian coal and restrictions on Russian banks, oligarchs and Kremlin officials. The coal mining ban, which will cost Russia about $8.7 billion in annual revenue, takes effect immediately on new contracts. However, at Germany’s insistence, the existing contracts had four months to expire, lessening the impact on Russia and Germany.
However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in London on Friday, welcomed what Mr Johnson called Germany’s “seismic decision” to turn away from fuel. Russia. Britain has pushed for a complete ban on Russian energy, a move that Germany, which heats half of Russia’s homes with gas, has opposed.
Mr Johnson acknowledged the obstacles to Germany’s energy system transformation “soon”, but said “we know that Russia’s war in Ukraine will not end overnight. “. Mr. Scholz said that Putin has tried to divide the European powers, but “he will continue to experience our unity”.
On Friday, Russia retaliated with some punishment from the West, declaring 45 Polish Embassy and Consulate employees “non-grata personalities” and asking them to leave Russia. Poland expelled the same number of Russian diplomats.
Russia’s Justice Ministry also said it had revoked the registrations of several prominent human rights groups in the country, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which have accused the Russian military of committed war crimes in Ukraine. The ministry accused the groups of violating an unspecified Russian law. This decision means that organizations are no longer allowed to operate in Russia.
Human Rights Watch says forcing its office to close will not change its resolve to call on Russia to turn to authoritarianism. The group says it has been tracking abuses in Russia since Soviet times.
“We have found ways to document human rights violations and we will do so in the future,” it said.
