European Union Sanctions in the Context of the Russian Federation’s Armed Aggression Against Ukraine: Legal Basis for Adoption and Implementation

This article proposes a revised approach to the study of European Union sanctions. The objective of the research is to demonstrate the consistency between the constitutional foundations of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the legal basis for the adoption and implementation of sanctions, including their objectives, grounds, and procedures, following the onset of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine. To achieve this objective, the authors apply both general and special research methods, including analysis and deduction, as well as formal legal and logical legal methods. The article examines scholarly debates on certain aspects of the legal regulation of EU sanctions, identifies the features of legal acts under which EU sanctions are adopted, outlines the procedural rules governing the adoption and implementation of sanctions, and provides examples of how EU institutions such as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European Commission, and the Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX) exercise their respective powers within their mandates. Special attention is given to landmark legal acts of the Council of the European Union and the European Council introducing restrictive measures in response to actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. The authors also present their position on the development of Ukraine’s sanctions legislation. In conclusion, the study reveals the interrelation between the principles and objectives of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and the goals, grounds, and procedures for imposing sanctions following the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine.