EU eyes sanctions on Putin's daughters over Ukraine war

[BRUSSELS] The EU is looking to add 2 of Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughters to its sanctions blacklist over Moscow's war on Ukraine, European diplomats told AFP on Wednesday (Apr 6).

The move, under discussion by EU diplomats, is part of a wave of fresh measures being planned after Ukrainian and Western leaders accused the Kremlin's forces of massacring civilians near Kyiv.

Diplomats told AFP that EU member states hoped to sign off on the latest package of sanctions later this week.

The EU's executive has proposed targeting Putin's 2 daughters Maria and Katerina, born in 1985 and 1986, from his marriage to ex-wife Lyudmila, whose divorce from the Russian leader was announced in 2013.

The Kremlin has kept details of his daughter's lives a closely guarded secret.

According to Russian media, Maria Vorontsova, the eldest daughter, is an endocrinologist and co-owner of a Russian medical research company. She was reputedly married to a Dutch businessman.

The younger daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, is a specialist in mechanical sciences and directs an artificial intelligence institute at Moscow State University, local media have reported.

The 27-nation bloc has already imposed an asset freeze on Putin over the invasion of Ukraine as it tries to ratchet up pressure on the Russian president and his inner circle over the invasion of Ukraine.

The EU's latest package of sanctions also envisions a ban on Russian coal exports and blocking Russian ships from entering European ports. AFP