The European Council on May 14 broadened the scope of its sanctions framework on Iran due to that nation's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. The council expanded the bloc's ability to impose sanctions on not only unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) but "missiles too." The EU can now target individuals and entities "supplying, selling or otherwise being involved in transferring Iran's missiles and UAVs" in support of the war in Ukraine or used by armed groups that undermine security in the Middle East and Red Sea region. The council also barred the export of components used in the "development and production of UAVs from the EU to Iran."
A bipartisan group of 11 senators issued a joint statement May 14 criticizing the Georgian parliament’s passage of a "Russian-style foreign agents bill" and reiterating their warning that Congress may respond with sanctions and other measures.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week designated Russian national Dmitrii Aleksandrovich Beloglazovand and three of his companies for their involvement in a scheme to help Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska evade U.S. sanctions. OFAC said the scheme was meant to unfreeze more than $1.5 billion worth of shares belonging to Deripaska.
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The U.K. High Court of Justice on May 10 made permanent a court order blocking sanctioned Russian entity VEB from taking a dispute with Barclays Bank to an arbitration court in Russia. The court rejected VEB's claim that British sanctions "frustrated" an arbitration agreement between the parties.
Leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said May 13 they might pursue financial sanctions and other measures against Georgia if the country’s government doesn't withdraw a “foreign agents” bill that would crack down on civil society organizations and independent media outlets.
Four House Republicans said last week they’re concerned the Biden administration is considering giving small and medium-sized businesses in Cuba access to the U.S. banking system even though such entities are generally controlled by Cuba's communist government.
Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland on May 9 signed an agreement that they said will align export control enforcement practices and increase information sharing across their customs agencies, particularly for illegal shipments to Russia, the countries announced.
The U.K. High Court of Justice on May 3 said funds are subject to sanctions when a party can prove that the funds are being "in fact controlled" by a sanctioned party, not when there's "only reasonable cause to suspect" they are controlled by a sanctioned party, according to the Global Sanctions blog.
The U.K. on May 8 amended one entry under its Russia sanctions regime, updating the listing for Said Mikhailovich Gutseriev. The amended listing now shows that Gutseriev worked as a director of various Russian financial services and energy extractive companies, which operate in "sectors of strategic significance to the Government of Russia."