Borell defends the effectiveness of economic punishments against Russia and advocates “increasing pressure” despite threats from the Kremlin
Despite the high cost that the war and the sanctions against Russia are having on the European economy, the European Union (EU) is not planning to stop taking action against the Vladimir Putin regime. And much less withdraw support from Ukraine. This was indicated this Monday by the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the EU, Josep Borrell, at a meeting of foreign ministers in which an agreement was reached to send 500 million euros more in weapons to kyiv.
This new investment from the European Peace Support Fund brings to 2,500 million the total allocated to the purchase of military equipment to be delivered to Ukraine since the war began. The EU insists that this support is “decisive” to increase the defensive capacity of the Ukrainian troops, who have also received training from European military bodies.
Support for kyiv will continue, despite threats of a possible gas cut by Moscow and also criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is very reluctant to take action against the Kremlin. Last week he assured that the measures against Russia were “a mistake”, since “they are not reaching their objective”.
Borrell, on the contrary, denied those words on Monday: “Some leaders declared that the sanctions were a mistake, a mistake, I don’t think they are. It is what we have to do and we are going to continue doing it », he assured.
The intervention by videoconference of the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmitro Kuleba, has also tipped the scales in this regard. Backing down and bowing to their demands won’t work, never has. It is a trap,” he warned the European ministers.
Strengthen sanctions
While Moscow “uses energy as a weapon”, the EU responds with a battery of sanctions that “work”, pointed out Borrell, and that “is hitting the Russian economy hard”. “We know that Russia can use gas as a weapon against us, in fact it has already been doing so, reducing supply,” said the head of European diplomacy. However, these are “different things” and Europe “is not going to stop its support for Ukraine or its sanctions against Russia.”
Now, efforts are focused on reinforcing those six rounds of European punishments to avoid “loopholes” that the Kremlin can take advantage of. In this sense, the Twenty-seven are preparing a seventh battery of sanctions in which Russian gold is included -in line with the punishments imposed by the group of G7 countries-, as well as the freezing of assets of more individuals and entities of the circle of Putin.
Russian troops are also blockading Ukrainian ports, with about 20 million tons of grain. This is especially affecting countries like Germany and Italy and North Africa, causing a global food crisis. Borrell has assured that the resumption of exports of these cereals is “a matter of life or death” for tens of thousands of people and has expressed his hope that an agreement will be reached soon.
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