Eduardo González The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FEA) yesterday approved the fourteenth package of sanctions against Russia, under which, and in order to prevent "continued Russian attempts to interfere in the EU's democratic processes", EU political parties, foundations, non-governmental organizations or media service providers “accept funding from the Russian state and its representatives.” The new economic and individual restrictive measures against Vladimir Putin's regime "are designed to target high-value sectors of the Russian economy, such as energy, finance and trade, and make it increasingly difficult to circumvent sanctions of the EU,” the CAE indicated in a press release. “Our sanctions have already significantly weakened the Russian economy and prevented Putin from carrying out his plans to destroy Ukraine, although illegal aggression against civilians and civilian infrastructure continues,” the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs stated at the subsequent press conference. EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. In statements to the media upon his arrival at the Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, announced that the meeting would analyze the 14th package of sanctions, “which will allow us to increasingly reduce Russia's war effort.” and that of course Spain supports.” Likewise, he assured that Spain has been in favor “from the first moment” of using the benefits of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Precisely, the 27 agreed yesterday to release a first tranche of 1.4 billion euros to help Ukraine, coming from the interests of frozen Russian assets. “The exceptional profits generated by Russian assets frozen in Europe, and not the assets themselves, will be used as quickly as possible for the benefit of Ukraine,” Borrell declared. “1.4 billion euros will be available next month, and another 1 billion before the end of the year” and will help Ukraine buy weapons, he added. The proposal went ahead without the support of Hungary (the country that will become president of the EU Council in a week), which showed its indignation at a decision taken without unanimity. “A red line has been crossed,” declared Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. “Such disdain for European rules has never been shown,” he denounced. According to Borrell, Hungary had abstained during previous discussions on the use of the frozen assets and could now no longer oppose it. Nearly €300 billion of Russian assets have been frozen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the bulk of which (€190 billion) is located in Belgium. Financing of political parties and other organizations Within the sanctions package, and “in view of continued Russian attempts to interfere in the EU's democratic processes and undermine its democratic foundations, in particular through influence campaigns and the promotion of disinformation”, the Council has decided that the EU political parties and foundations, non-governmental organisations, including think tanks, or media service providers will no longer be able to accept funding from the Russian state and its representatives. Last January, the European External Action Service (EEAS) published its second report on foreign interference and manipulation in which it compiles numerous cases of Russian interference ahead of the European elections from June 6 to 9 and during the general elections. on July 23 in Spain. In February, the European Parliament approved a resolution denouncing the interference of the Russian security services in the independence process in Catalonia and calling for an investigation into the links between several MEPs, including the former president of the Generalitat Carles Puigdemont, and the Russian Government of Vladimir Putin. A month later, the director of the Cabinet of the Presidency of the Government, Óscar López, presented the 2022 National Security report to Congress, which warns of an increase in disinformation campaigns in Spain attributed to “the Kremlin orbit.”
