International sanctions

China and Russia have vetoed a US attempt to impose new UN sanctions on North Korea over its renewed ballistic missile launches, publicly splitting the organization's Security Council for the first time since the body began imposing sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006, Reuters reported.

The European Commission is proposing to confiscate the assets and property of violators of EU sanctions. This is stated in a statement issued by the EC in Brussels.

"Today, the European Commission has proposed that violations of EU restrictive measures be included in the EU's list of crimes," the statement said.

"International sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine must be lifted to avoid a global food crisis", Russia's deputy foreign minister has said.

The Hungarian government will be given extraordinary powers to respond more quickly to the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine. This was explained by Prime Minister Viktor Orban three months after Russia invaded his country's northeastern neighbor.

At the state level, while all EU countries have unanimously approved the five rounds sanctions against these Russian/Belarusian entities and individuals, they have done so with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

The embargo against Russia is considered one of the factors behind high food prices

In early March, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki condemned Russian energy imports, saying it was not only gas "but also the blood of innocent people" that was pouring through Russian pipelines to the West.

Greece might seek exclusion of its shipping companies from the embargo

Personnel restrictions are being introduced in response to British sanctions against members of the State Duma of Russia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia announced.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced on Wednesday that his government, along with Austrian oil company OMV, has agreed to pay for Russian gas imports in rubles.