EU sanctions 351 Russian lawmakers who voted to recognise Ukraine's separatist republics

The European Union has agreed to sanction the 351 members of the State Duma who voted in favour of Russia's recognition of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine.

The bloc will also punish 27 individuals and entities accused of destabilising Ukraine, waging disinformation campaigns and providing financial support to the two separatist regions.

The targets will come from the political, military, business and media sectors, and will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, which means they will not be allowed to enter or transit through EU territory.

"This is a clear escalation of Russian aggression against Ukraine," said Josep Borell, the EU's top diplomat, in a press conference in Paris.

"We demonstrate our determination to respond robustly to latest developments."

The new package of sanctions also limits the Russian government's access to the EU's capital and financial services markets and blocks the refinancing of Russian sovereign debt. Banks that "finance the Russian military apparatus" will also be penalised.

Additionally, trade between EU countries and the breakaway regions is banned.

By going after commercial links, the bloc wants to prevent Moscow from raising additional funds that could be used to bankroll the military campaign that has begun in eastern Ukraine.

"We will make it as difficult as possible for the Kremlin to pursue its aggressive policies," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a separate statement.

The EU is Russia's biggest trade partner, accounting for 37.3% of the country’s total trade in goods in 2020, according to the European Commission. The bloc gets over 40% of its gas and 26% of its oil from Russia, a dependency that officials