EU expands sanctions against Russia next Monday French minister: 150 new entities and 50 banks added

French European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad said today (12th) that the EU will pass more sanctions against Russia next Monday (16th), and the scope will be expanded to an additional 150 entities and 50 banks.

"Reuters" reported that Haddad said in an interview with LCI TV: "On Monday we will impose new sanctions on Russia, including an additional 150 entities and 50 banks. Most of the new entities are proposed by France." "We will continue to exert economic pressure on Russia and of course continue to support Ukraine," he added.

Haddad also talked about Russia's announcement yesterday to ban four French nationals from entering the country, and expressed condemnation. The four people are French MPs Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte, Le Monde reporter Ariane Chemin and freelance journalist Paul Gogo.

Haddad said: "This is intimidation, but France will not be intimidated. I think these MPs and journalists are just doing their job, especially these two MPs who have been active in resisting foreign interference."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier posted on the X platform that the Kremlin claimed that the four people were banned from entering the country in response to France's deportation of Xenia Fedorova, who was considered a Russian propagandist, in July this year. However, this statement "confirmed her relationship with the Russian authorities."