The EU diplomat announced on Tuesday that the 27 member states had unanimously approved a set of sanctions against Russia, which would target Russian officials “aggressively and harshly” after recognizing separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.
“Because of this situation, today the European countries have given a quick response […] And the 27 member states reached a unanimous agreement the day before to discuss imposing sanctions on Russia.
“This is a very dangerous time for Europe,” he said, referring to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, who said the sanctions would “hit Russia hard and hit a lot”.
“We are in strong coordination with our allies, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, with whom I have been in close contact during these hours,” said Joseph Borel, who threatened to “significantly increase sanctions on Russia’s behavior.” .
In particular, the sanctions approved today include 27 individuals and organizations and 350 members of the Council (Duma) under the Russian Parliament, Lusa had already advanced.
With regard to the financial sanctions, Joseph Borel noted that restrictions are expected on the EU’s economic relations with the two secluded regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the assets of two private Russian banks.
Speaking on behalf of the French presidency of the Council of EU, the French Foreign Minister pointed out that “the situation is serious or very serious”, which is why the 27 member states have reached an agreement.
The informal meeting of European diplomatic leaders came after a meeting hosted by the French president on relations between the Union and the Indo-Pacific region.
Late today, a meeting of the ambassadors of the member states of the European Union is under way for the final approval of the embargo package.
Von der Leyen promises EU will make Kremlin’s life as difficult as possible
The head of the European Commission accepted the embargo package against Russia on the 27th and promised that the European Union (EU) would “make it as difficult as possible for the Kremlin to pursue its policies of aggression.”
In a statement in Brussels, shortly after the member states unanimously approved a new embargo targeting Moscow, the recognition of the “Donetsk and Lukansk-Ukrainian regions” and the decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to mobilize forces for these self-proclaimed republics. , Ursula von der Leyen warned that “if Russia exacerbates this crisis it has created, the EU is ready to take” new measures “in response soon.”
Regarding the sanctions approved by 27 today, the delegate considered it a “solid set of measures”, “a clear response to violations of international law by the Kremlin (Russian Presidency)”.
“The sanctions target individuals and companies directly involved in these activities, targeting the banks that finance the Russian military apparatus and contributing to the instability of Ukraine. We control the capacity of the Russian government to mobilize, “he said.
“We will make it as difficult as possible for the Kremlin to pursue its policies of aggression,” the head of the social administration declared, again accusing Russia of “disrespecting its international obligations and violating the fundamental principles of international law.”
“Russia created this crisis and is responsible for the current escalation. We will now end the set of sanctions quickly. We will work as closely with our allies as we have done so far.”
The German leader also said he had full agreement with the German government on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to supply Russian natural gas to Germany, whose certification process was blocked by Berlin today. “Nord Stream 2 needs to be evaluated in light of the security of energy supplies across Europe because this crisis shows that Europe is still dependent on Russian gas. We need to diversify our suppliers and invest more in renewable energy. A strategic investment in our energy independence,” he declared. .
The EU’s position comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday night in Donbass (eastern Ukraine) recognizing the self – proclaimed republics of Lugansk and Donetsk. Pro-Russian secessionist territories.
After Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine in 2014, most Western nations, which had feared for months that they would re-occupy Ukraine, condemned Putin’s decision.
In 2014, after the fall of the pro-Russian government in Kiev, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and held a referendum on reclaiming territory for the Russian Federation. Since then, Kiev has been embroiled in conflict with pro-Russian separatists in the east.
The United Nations says more than 14,000 people have been killed so far in fighting between Kiev forces and separatist militants in eastern Ukraine.