A number of Russian businessmen whose companies are associated with the production of fertilizers and chemicals will be partly exempt from EU sanctions. It is reported by EUobserver.

According to diplomatic sources of the publication, we are talking about Andrey Melnichenko (EuroChem) and his wife Alexander, Dmitry Mazepin (UralChem), Vadim Moshkovich (Rusagro), Andrey Guryev (PhosAgro) and Vyacheslav Kantor (Akron.

They are under the current EU asset freeze and visa bans for supporting Russian military action..

According to an agreement reached by EU leaders at the summit, individual countries of the bloc will be able to unfreeze their money if necessary to finance food and fertilizer supplies, especially to Africa..

But EU countries will have to consult with the European Commission before they can take such steps..

The decision was made after 11-hour talks between the ambassadors on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels.. And it unlocked a broader compromise on the ninth round of sanctions against Russia..

Lithuania and Poland have threatened to postpone everything if they are forced to unfreeze the assets of Russian businessmen. But EU heavyweights France, Germany and the Netherlands, backed by Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain, have pushed hard to unlock the fertilizer market to protect global food security..

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Lithuania and Poland have previously warned that easing fertilizer sanctions could open loopholes to bypass other restrictions..

Exports of Russian fertilizers in 2021 amounted to only 6.5 percent of the world market, which refutes Moscow's assertion of its systemic importance, Lithuania said.

The unfreezing of Russian fertilizer supplies is the first significant relaxation of the EU sanctions regime since the Russian invasion in February.. This is happening against the backdrop of Russian strikes on Ukraine's heat and water supply systems in winter conditions..

But the summit's new agreements also unlock the ninth package of sanctions, covering the Russian mining and media sectors, as well as more than 140 individuals..

For its part, Hungary insisted on the exclusion of three names from the "

“This sends a signal to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that even if you are on the blacklist, we can still save you,” an EU diplomat said..

Hungary has already boycotted the EU oil embargo against Russia. But other bloc states also fought for national interests, such as Belgium, which opposed the ban on the import of Russian diamonds..

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Earlier it was reported that EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels, during which conclusions were adopted on the Russian war against Ukraine, energy and the economy, as well as on security and defense.. In particular, they agreed to increase military support for Ukraine..

Also, representatives of the governments of the European Union agreed on the ninth package of sanctions against Russia. As noted, additional restrictive measures are planned to be formalized during the "