Today’s decision targets 18 persons identified as responsible for such misappropriation whose assets within the European Union will be frozen.

Brussels, 5 March 2014 – As agreed at the Foreign Affairs Council of 3 March, the Council today adopted EU sanctions focussed on the freezing and recovery of misappropriated Ukrainian state funds.

Today’s decision targets 18 persons identified as responsible for such misappropriation whose assets within the European Union will be frozen. The sanctions also contain provisions facilitating the recovery of the frozen funds, once certain conditions are met.

The legal acts, including the list of persons subject to sanctions, will be published in tomorrow’s EU Official Journal. The measures will initially apply for twelve months, starting tomorrow.

Today’s decision was adopted by written procedure. For more information about EU restrictive measures and the effects of an asset freeze, see factsheet.