Austria backs EU Russia sanctions after Ukraine removes Raiffeisen from blacklist -December 16, 2023 at 04:14 pm EST
BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Austria has given its
approval to a 12th package of EU sanctions on Russia after
Ukraine removed Raiffeisen Bank International from a
blacklist, Ukraine’s government website and an EU diplomat said
on Saturday.
Austria had been pushing to remove the bank from a Ukrainian
list dubbed “international sponsors of war” – which sets out to
shame companies doing business in Russia and supporting the war
effort by, for instance, paying taxes.
“Austria’s sanctions reservation is lifted,” an EU diplomat
said.
The blacklist has no legal standing, but it is symbolically
important, reinforcing public pressure on Raiffeisen to quit
Russia, something the Austrian bank has said it is willing to do
but which has yet to happen.
“The status is suspended for the period of bilateral
consultations involving representatives of the European
Commission,” the Ukrainian government website said on
Raiffeisen’s status on Saturday.
Austria had wanted Raiffeisen removed from the blacklist in
return for signing off on the latest EU sanctions package
against Russia.
Raiffeisen had intended to spin off its Russian business,
which provides a payment lifeline to hundreds of companies
there, after coming under pressure from international
regulators.
(Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
