European Union to Ban Supply of Toilets to Russia

The new EU sanctions, designed to weaken the Russian military machine, also include symbolic goods that do not affect strategic industries.

The main purpose of the trade embargo, worth 11 billion euros per year, is to stop the sale of high-tech goods that can be used in Russian weapons systems.

According to Euobserver with reference to a 146-page list of goods that will no longer be exported to Russia, these are electronics, lasers, radio equipment, software, avionics, marine cameras and rare minerals.

Another part of the new trade ban aims to strike at Russia's industrial potential more broadly.

The list includes "bidets, toilets, cisterns and similar plumbing fixtures," as well as LEDs, hemp yarn, forklifts, mail sorting machines, chimneys, bricks, tires, and even "pens and nibs".

The toilets have become symbolic, when Russian soldiers began stealing them, first in Georgia in 2008 and now in Ukraine, pointing out the fact that the 24-year rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin did nothing to improve the lives of ordinary Russians, as one in five Russian homes still don’t have adequate plumbing.

"Let them take the toilets – they will need them on the way – and send them home," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his speech in January.

"You know, they [Russians – ed.] used to talk about their biggest dream – to see Paris and die... Now their dream is to steal a toilet and die," he also said last April.

The EU sanctions should come into force by February 24, the one year anniversary of the war.

But the inclusion of symbolic objects and obscure technologies comes at the same time that Russia's diamond mining and nuclear industries are once again being overlooked by sanctions pressure.

The 10th EU sanctions package will also be discussed by foreign ministers next week before being adopted and could still be changed.

Earlier, on 15 February, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, officially suggested the 10th package of sanctions against Russia.