Brussels, 05/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 5 November, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that he would make his first visit outside the EU to Ukraine, but he did not say when.
“It's weeks that I have been promising the Ukrainian president that my first bilateral visit outside the EU would be Kiev”, Juncker stated at a press conference. “I don't know when”, he said.
Questioned on the sanctions against Russia, Juncker remained fairly vague. “My impression is that the sanctions that we have will remain as they are. It will depend on developments on the ground as to whether or not we will broaden or deepen these sanctions. It's not a question that must have a response today”, he said.
The previous day, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini wondered about the political effectiveness of the sanctions against Russia, as part of the Ukrainian crisis.
“The effect of the sanctions on the Russian economy is clear for everyone - first for the Russians and the Russian leaders”, Mogherini stated in an interview with six European daily newspapers. “The real issue is, is this going to be the element that will significantly change the Russian political attitude with regard to the crisis? This is still an open question and the response is only in the hands of the Russian authorities. But we need a response to this question before continuing”, she added. Mogherini said that Ukraine would be on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 November. “The evaluation of the sanctions, as you know, is always ongoing. We've always said in the past, and we will continue to say in the future, the evaluation of the situation on the ground is what moves us in strengthening the sanctions, in lifting the sanctions, in limiting the sanctions, in adding more elements to that, and this is a process that is going to go on in the coming weeks”, she told a press conference on 4 November.
The sanctions against Russia were reviewed on 28 October and maintained as they were (see EUROPE 11187). (CG)