The EU use of restrictive measures as a response to the War on Ukraine – a brief overview

As a response to Russia’s 24th February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) imposed restrictive measures on Russian and Ukrainian individuals and has repeatedly increased their scope since. These restrictive measures build upon already existing measures adopted as a response to the annexation of Crimea and to the escalation of the tension in Ukraine that have occurred since. However, the reaction after the invasion in 2022 was unprecedented – not in terms of the legal framework, but in terms of the scope and the content of the restrictive measures applied. The present article presents the framework of the EU restrictive measures and develops the sanctions adopted against Russia. It then addresses two particular problems related with the imposition of restrictive measures against EU citizens, and the adoption of bans against Russian media outlets.