EU Foreign Affairs Ministers adopted, on Friday 25 February, the package of sanctions agreed upon by the Heads of State and Government during the night of 24-25 February in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (see EUROPE 12898/1).
“We must realise the seriousness of the situation: an independent country has been invaded by another country with significant military capabilities”, stressed the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, after the meeting, at which the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, attended remotely.
At their third EU Council in five days, the ministers decided to freeze the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Mr Borrell recalled that three leaders in the world are sanctioned by the EU: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Syrian President Bashar El Assad and now Mr Putin.
The head of diplomacy added that members of the Russian Duma who were not yet so, are now subject to restrictive measures, as are relevant members of the Russian Security Council and Belarusian officials who supported the Russian invasion.
The EU has also adopted sanctions against individuals who have a significant economic role in supporting the Kremlin, namely the oligarchs. According to Mr Borrell, the EU has sanctioned 26 people who are “neither government officials nor members of the Duma or political institutions, people connected to the Russian financial world”. At the time of going to press, the list had not yet been released.
“Sanctions will not prevent the invasion, but they will hurt, hurt the Russian economy a lot”, the High Representative promised, adding that the EU was using the means at its disposal.
Asked about the absence of the exclusion of Russia from the Swift financial system in the sanctions package, Mr Borrell acknowledged that the discussion was not far enough advanced, but that nothing could be ruled out if additional measures were to be adopted.
“This is a big package of sanctions that should not be underestimated”, added the Irish Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney, while acknowledging that many Member States were ready to go further and that there could soon be a third package of measures.
Support for the Russian people
Mr Borrell also explained that the sanctions were not against the Russian people, underlining the courage of Russians who demonstrated in 58 cities across the country to oppose Vladimir Putin’s actions. Earlier in the day, on Twitter, he denounced the arrest of nearly 2,000 “brave Russians”, who were “brutally arrested in dozens of cities for participating in peaceful demonstrations for peace and against the unjustified attack on the sovereign country of Ukraine”.
Obtaining international condemnation
The Europeans also decided to intensify their diplomatic efforts to ensure the widest possible condemnation of Russia at international level to hold it accountable for its actions.
Mr Borrell recalled that the Member States and the EU had summoned Russian ambassadors to their territories and that EU ambassadors and delegations around the world had been “instructed to work actively to explain to partner countries the danger of Putin’s aggressive behaviour”. “Russia must see that it is going to be isolated in the international community”, Mr Borrell said.
Recalling that in the evening there would be a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution condemning Russian aggression, which Moscow will veto, Mr Borrell said he hoped that this resolution, which will then be submitted to the UN General Assembly, will be supported by the international community. “If the UN does not condemn what Russia is doing, then it is the law of the jungle. It is the law of the strongest”, he said.
Earlier in the day, the Council of Europe decided to suspend Russia (see other news). In addition, the Champions League football final will no longer be held in St Petersburg, but in Paris, the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix has been cancelled and Russia has been expelled from the Eurovision Song Contest, which Mr Borrell said will have “a wide resonance” in Russian society.
Ukraine disappointed
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his disappointment with the measures adopted. In a speech to the Europeans, he questioned how they would protect themselves “when you help us so slowly in Ukraine?”. While saying he was grateful for the sanctions adopted, he claimed that Europe had enough strength to stop the aggression.
“What to expect further from European states? Cancellation of visas for Russians? Cutting off Swift? Full isolation of Russia? Recalling ambassadors? Oil embargo? Closure of the sky? Today, all this should be on the table, because it is a threat to us, all of us, all of Europe. You can still stop the aggression. We must act without delay”, he argued, also calling for demonstrations in support of his country.
The President called on European citizens to demand from their governments “more financial aid, more military aid to Ukraine” and even to come and fight for his country if they have the experience.
“When bombs fall in Kyiv, this happens in Europe, not only in Ukraine. When missiles kill our people, it’s the death of all Europeans”, he added.
To see his speech: https://aeur.eu/f/ir (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)