EU Council agrees on sanctions to exclude some Russian banks from SWIFT system

PARIS – The Council of the European Union voted on Tuesday on sanctions to exclude some Russian banks from the SWIFT system, according to the official Twitter account of the French EU Council Presidency.

A meeting of ambassadors from the bloc’s member countries also resulted in a vote to ban the broadcasting of Russian media outlets Sputnik and RT in the European Union, according to a series of tweets from the official account.

The European Union, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Britain agreed on Saturday to ensure that selected Russian banks are removed from SWIFT to harm their ability to operate globally.

(Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Chris Reese)