The State Duma named the reason for Callas' ban on importing game consoles into Russia

By banning the import of game consoles into Russia, EU diplomacy chief Kaya Kallas is clearing the field of goods delivery to Russia for her husband's transportation company. This was stated to Izvestia on January 28 by Duma deputy, first deputy chairman of the Defense Committee Alexei Zhuravlev from the Rodina party.

Earlier in the day, the Financial Times reported that, according to Kallas, it is proposed to ban the supply of Xbox and PlayStation game consoles to Russia as part of new EU sanctions. Kallas claims that the consoles are allegedly being used to control drones in Russian Federation.

"Kallas is apparently clearing the field of delivering goods to Russia for her own husband, whose transportation company has been making money on such shipments since after 2022," he said.

Zhuravlev also drew attention to the fact that game consoles are not military items at all and it will not be possible to control a drone with them. Besides, he continued, it is absolutely unclear how the EU structures are going to control the supplies.

"China buys, say, a batch, and then delivers it under a separate contract to Russia. At what stage does Kallas want to interfere? All these statements are nothing more than shaking the air, and an attempt to remind ourselves, say, Europe has, if you have forgotten, also its own diplomacy," the MP summarized.

Left in prolongation: why Hungary did not veto anti-Russian sanctions

EU foreign ministers discuss further pressure on Russia and relations with the US under Trump

On January 27, the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas officially confirmed the extension of anti-Russian sanctions for six months. In turn, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto, said that Budapest received from the European Commission the required guarantees of energy security, without which it refused to extend sanctions against Russia.

The next day, January 28, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there were no innovations in the EU's extension of anti-Russian sanctions for six months. He also called the sanctions against Russia illegal.

Western countries have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after the start of the special operation to protect civilians in Donbass, which was announced on February 24, 2022.