Sweden urges stop to luxury
Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT

Sweden urges stop to luxury goods exports to Russia

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard says she is provoked by rich Russians drinking fine French wines and shopping for expensive Italian clothes. Together with Finland, Sweden now wants to stop exports of luxury goods to Russia, as well as purchases of Russian fertilizer in the EU.

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In her speech at the People and Defense national conference in Sälen, Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) launched an initiative together with her Finnish colleague Elina Valtonen. When the next sanctions package is negotiated in Brussels, they will push for three new areas to be targeted with sanctions to increase pressure on Russia.

Among other things, they want to stop the export of luxury goods from the EU to Russia.

'It is not crucial for the Russian war economy, but it is morally right,' Malmer Stenergard said.

'It provokes me that wealthy Russian consumers can dress in expensive Italian designer clothes and drink fine French wines.'

Even though the EU has already decided on 19 sanctions packages against Russia, Sweden and Finland believe that more needs to be done.

Stopping purchases of Russian fertilizer in the EU could have a significant impact on the Russian treasury, as it is the third-largest export to the EU.

Another measure that Sweden and Finland want to see is a total ban on European companies offering services to ships carrying Russian oil, gas and coal.

'No transport. No transfers of cargo between ships. No insurance and no repairs in port,' Malmer Stenergard said.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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