According to Reuters, the European Union (EU) is discussing a new wave of sanctions on Russia with the United States and the United Kingdom, following possible Moscow plans to invade neighboring Ukraine. However, Russia has made it clear that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, and has accused Kiev of escalating the conflict after sending “half an army” to confront pro-Russian separatists in the east.
In 2014, the European Union, along with the United States, imposed sanctions on Russia, which affected the energy, banking and defense sectors following the Crimean invasion.
“The EU will send a clear signal that any aggression against Ukraine will cost Russia dearly,” said Joseph Borel, a top European diplomat. We are collaborating with the US and the UK to study what they are, when and how they can be.
Ahead of the meeting of EU leaders, he said the discussion would focus on the gradual increase in any of the possible sanctions, ranging from possible “travel bans and property freezes on members of the Russian political elite” to “all financial and banking bans.” Links “with Moscow.
One of the sanctions on the table is related to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, which the EU is considering blocking. In addition, the panel is exploring the possibility of targeting state defense and energy companies and canceling natural gas contracts.
However, EU diplomats underscore that such measures would be considered “if the Russian military attempts a full-scale occupation of Ukraine.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly warned Russia that the Western military alliance is on the side of Ukraine, at a time when Russian troops are beginning to concentrate heavily and unusually on Ukraine’s borders.
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