In response to the war aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the EU has imposed massive sanctions against Russia. Broadly, these sanctions target: individuals (aimed at people responsible for supporting, financing and implementing actions that undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence), economic sanctions (numerous import and export restrictions on Russia’s economic operators) and visa measures.
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) which was signed by the EU and the six Western Balkan countries represents a basis for adhering to the EU’s CFSP, whereby imposing sanctions on other countries are defined, while Türkiye signed the Association Agreement and the Additional Protocol before the CFSP entered into force and has no legal obligations to align with the CFSP.
The following statistical brief sets the stage for a more comprehensive exploration of the trade relations among Western Balkan countries and Russia in the period before and during the sanctions introduced by the EU.
