Europe entered a new era this Thursday, that of almost thirty years of relative peace and security that began with the end of the cold war and the wars in the Balkans.
The institutions of the European Union, originally built precisely to avoid war between its member states based on political and economic cooperation, they saw how for the first time in history a nuclear power attacked and invaded a neighboring country much smaller in population and military means.
(Also read: Russian-Ukrainian war live: at least 57 Ukrainians killed and 169 wounded)
(Due to the public interest that the events between Russia and Ukraine arouse, all our coverage of that invasion and related actions will have free access for all readers of EL TIEMPO)
The 27 governments representing 447 million Europeans saw throughout the day, some thousands of kilometers away like the Portuguese and others next to their borders like the Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians and Romanians, how a war of aggression began between states, something never seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War.
His reaction could not be more than to use his tools, mainly cheap.
The European Union approved this Thursday, in an extraordinary summit, the largest package of sanctions in its historya set of measures that seek, as the president of the European Commission Úrsula Von der Leyen explained from early Thursday, “to put an end to Russia’s economic growth, increase its financing costs, increase inflation and intensify the outflow of capital ”.
(Also: Ukraine and Russia: Is there a danger of a Third World War?)
Washington and London yesterday froze all assets of all Russian banks, including VTB, the largest commercial bank.
The European sanctions, whose details will be drawn up by the foreign ministers this Friday, are aimed primarily at the financial sector by cutting off Russian banking access to the European capital market. It is about doing everything possible to hinder the financing of the Russian state.
As well there are sanctions on the energy sector and export controls to avoid selling dual-use civil and military material to Russia. The Europeans will also prohibit the export to Moscow of high-tech materials that Russia does not produce. There are sanctions on transport and the granting of visas will be limited to hit the economic and political elite in Moscow.
(Also read: What effect would new Western sanctions have on Russia?)
The final communiqué of the summit starts by condemning “in the strongest possible terms the unjustified and unprovoked military aggression of Russia against Ukraine. With this illegal military action (the United Nations Charter only allows war in self-defense or after approval by the United Nations Security Council) Russia grossly violates international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter and undermines the security and European and global stability.
The Europeans call on Russia to cease its military actions immediately, to withdraw its troops unconditionally and to respect “the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence” of Ukraine. Sanctions, according to Belgian Alexander De Croo, “don’t have to bark, they have to bite”.
NATO also reacted yesterday. Early on Thursday he summoned the ambassadors of its 30 member states and activated the NED, an acronym that explains that from now on the military command can activate defense plans for the entire European eastern flank. The Atlantic Alliance also activated Article 4 of its treaty at the request of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is the one invoked when one or more Member States feel threatened. NATO’s supreme commander, US General Tod Wolters, has permission to activate a force of up to 40,000 troops.
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This Friday, the leaders of those 30 NATO member states will meet by videoconference to take stock of the situation and take the military measures that were carried out yesterday, those that serve to reinforce the defenses of the eastern countries of the Atlantic Alliance such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia or Bulgaria.
Its secretary general, the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, said that NATO neither has nor will have troops in Ukraine (which is not a member state of the Alliance) but that it will reinforce its neighbors. Meanwhile, European diplomatic sources explained that they do not see how the Ukrainian Army can prevent the fall of Kiev in days if not hours. The leader said: “There will be a new reality. There will be a new Europe after the invasion that we have seen today.” And it’s not going to be better.
The arrival of Ukrainian refugees is another reason for concern in the European Commission. Its president Von der Leyen said yesterday that the Ukrainians fleeing the war have the doors of Europe open and the European Executive is already working on contingency plans to help the countries on the front line.
(Keep reading: Why is Russia invading Ukraine? Here’s what you need to know)
Idafe Martin Perez
US Reporter
For the time
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