About: Sanctions
Xi urges Europe to ‘make positive efforts with China’ in Merkel call
President Xi Jinping told German leader Angela Merkel during a phone call that he hoped Europe would "make positive efforts with China", Chinese state media reported, following an international row over the treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.
Bloodshed in Myanmar as troops open fire on protesters
Myanmar troops stormed an anti-coup protest camp on Wednesday (7 April), in a pre-dawn operation that local media said killed and wounded several demonstrators, as activists defied a bloody crackdown and internet blockade by the ruling junta.
Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny goes on hunger strike
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Wednesday (31 March) said he is launching a hunger strike to demand proper medical treatment for severe back pain and numbness in his legs.
China sanctions UK entities, individuals for Xinjiang ‘lies’
China sanctioned organisations and individuals in the United Kingdom on Friday (26 March) over what it called “lies and disinformation” about Xinjiang, days after Britain imposed sanctions for human rights abuses in the western Chinese region.
North Korea missile launch tests Biden administration, Japan Olympics
North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan, Japan’s prime minister said, fueling tension ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and ramping up pressure on the Biden administration as it finalises its North Korea policy.
US, EU to cooperate on China dialogue, Russia challenge
The US and Europe have agreed to relaunch a bilateral dialogue on China and work together to address Russia's "challenging behavior," according to a statement from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the EU foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell.
Ukraine sanctions French MEPs for visiting Crimea
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on two dozen Russian officials and three French members of the European Parliament who visited Russian-annexed Crimea without Kyiv's permission.
Lavrov pronounces Russia-EU relations as dead
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said there were no more relations between his country and the EU, blaming Brussels for “destroying mechanisms built over years”. He made the comments during a visit to China, marking a further Russia-China rapprochement.
EU nations rebuke China envoys over retaliatory sanctions
France, Germany and other EU nations called in Chinese ambassadors on Tuesday (23 March) to protest at sanctions imposed by Beijing targeting their citizens, as China and Europe faced off over claims of rights abuses against China's Muslim Uyghur minority.
West hits China with coordinated sanction over Xinjiang abuses
The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday (22 March) for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the first such coordinated Western action against Beijing under new US President Joe Biden.
China sanctions 10 Europeans including parliamentarians
China on Monday (22 March) announced sanctions on 10 Europeans including politicians and scholars, as well as four entities, in retaliation against the EU's approval of measures over Beijing's crackdown on the Uighur minority.
Russia’s EU ambassador: Discussing Navalny is pointless
In a telephone interview on Thursday (11 February) the Ambassador of Russia to the EU Vladimir Chizhov evokes the recent visit of EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell to Moscow, which he helped arrange.
Myanmar faces European push at UN to condemn coup
The United Nations' top human rights body is to consider a resolution on Friday (12 February) drafted by Britain and the European Union that would condemn Myanmar's military coup and demand urgent access for monitors.
Germany backs Nord Stream 2 ‘for the time being’: Merkel
Germany is sticking with its support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline "for the time being", Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday (5 February) after condemning Russia's expulsion of diplomats from Sweden, Germany and Poland.
Russia to try Navalny for slander amid EU talks
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is due back in court on Friday (5 February) for a slander trial on the same day as the European Union's top diplomat is in Moscow for talks with Russia's foreign minister.
Kremlin accuses US of meddling after 3,500 protesters detained
The Kremlin on Sunday (24 January) accused the United States of interfering in Russia's domestic affairs and downplayed the scale of the weekend's protests, when tens of thousands rallied in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
China imposes sanctions on 28 Trump-era officials including Pompeo
China’s move to sanction former Trump administration officials was “unproductive and cynical”, a spokeswoman for President Joe Biden’s National Security Council said on Wednesday (20 January), urging Americans from both parties to condemn the action.
Turkish FM on charm offensive in Brussels
The European Union will on Thursday (21 January) press Turkey to make good on recent gestures from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to calm tensions, as Ankara's foreign minister visits Brussels.
Gazprom bond prospectus acknowledges risk over Nord Stream 2
Russian gas producer Gazprom has acknowledged in a Eurobond prospectus seen by Reuters on Tuesday (19 January) that there are risks that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project may be suspended or scrapped amid political pressure.
Police detain Navalny on arrival in Russia, prompting Western condemnation
Police detained top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Sunday (17 January) when he flew back to Russia months after barely surviving a poisoning attack, prompting a new wave of Western condemnation.
Vietnam jails journalists, EU says it prefers ‘dialogue’ to sanctions
EU was hesitant on Wednesday (6 January) to resort to trade sanctions following the announcement of heavy sentences of journalists in Vietnam, a latest development in the communist country’s crackdown on dissent. Three journalists, members of the Independent Journalists’ Association...
Moscow expands list of UK officials banned from Russia
Moscow on Wednesday (30 December) expanded a list of UK officials banned from entering Russia in a tit-for-tat response to British sanctions imposed over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that...
Belarusian spa in Lithuania hit by EU sanctions
A Belarusian state-owned spa operating in Lithuania has been hit by European Union sanctions against Minsk over its brutal crackdown on opposition protesters, officials said Monday (28 December). Ilya Yepifanau, the head physician at the Belorus spa, told AFP that...