EU Prepares to Announce 12th Sanctions Package Against Russia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today, Saturday, that "the European Union will announce the 12th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, with new bans on imports and exports and tightening of oil price caps." Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed during a meeting held last week to discuss the economic situation in the country that "Russia's GDP has grown by 2.8 percent over the last nine months compared to the same period last year, despite Western sanctions." However, he simultaneously called for "preparation to face tightening Western sanctions, amid the Western trend to continue to intensify and tighten sanctions."