Estonia and Bulgaria are other EU countries that have closed their ports to Russian ships. Previously, a similar ban was imposed by Italy, Belgium and Romania in accordance with the package of sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Estonian ports have been closed since Sunday, local public radio and television ERR reports, citing the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure. Minister Taavi Aas said that Europe is reviewing its economic activities and becoming more independent from Russia, as “the Kremlin is not signaling an end to aggression.”
Changing the flag will not prevent the ban
The ban also applies to Russian units that changed their flag after February 24, that is, after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It will not apply to ships in need of assistance, but will be decided by the police and border guards.
Also in Bulgaria came into force a ban on the admission to the sea and river ports of Russian ships, including those that have recently changed the flag.
Discussion of further sanctions
The European Union is increasingly calling for an embargo on oil imports from Russia. Many foreign ministers of member states spoke about this before the meeting in Luxembourg on 11 April. Initially, only Poland and the Baltic states called for tough sanctions in the energy sector.
– The Czech Republic is in favor of the most stringent sanctions against Russia, – said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. They should, as Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod emphasized, include an embargo on oil imports from Russia.
The head of Irish diplomacy, Simon Coveney, also believes that the decision to suspend oil imports from Russia should be made as soon as possible. “The European Union allocates hundreds of millions of euros a day to import oil from Russia, helping to finance the war,” said Simon Coveney.