Brussels – The European Union is trying not to stand idly by in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which shows no sign of abating, and is seeking to stay one step ahead. “This autumn, I will present the most ambitious list of sanctions since the start of the war,” said the Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative for the EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in an interview published today (17 August) by the German newspaper Die Welt. The High Representative stressed that “once adopted, these measures would lead to an immediate increase of one-third in the total number of sanctioned Russian entities,” a move that follows the adoption of the 21st package of sanctions against the Russian Federation at the end of July. According to Kallas, since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, “EU sanctions have already imposed extremely high costs on Russia, depriving its war machine of over one thousand billion euros.” According to some European Commission estimates, the sanctions have so far affected 3,000 individuals and entities.
The announcement comes in response to the intensification of targeted attacks against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure in recent weeks, in connection with which Kallas has accused Moscow of waging “systematic terror.” The High Representative maintains that, as Russian forces are failing to gain the upper hand on the battlefield, they are increasingly targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure to render cities uninhabitable. According to reports from the governor of the Odesa oblast, Oleh Kiper, four people were injured in a Russian attack on port infrastructure in the Ukrainian region.
On the other side, the Russian Federation’s air defences and population centres are also facing a wave of Ukrainian air raids. Yesterday, an attack carried out by hundreds of short- and medium-range drones launched by the Kyiv armed forces resulted in the deaths of twelve people. This incident was described by the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobiov, as “one of the most massive in recent history.” The intensification of the war is also spreading to other neighbouring states: yesterday, a drone that had entered Romanian airspace was shot down near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. “Investigations into the details of the incident are ongoing, but the drone appears to be Russian,” NATO spokesperson Martin O’Donnell said.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the EU has imposed “massive and unprecedented” sanctions against Russia. These measures are in addition to the sanctions already in place against Russia since 2014, following the annexation of Crimea and the failure to implement the Minsk Agreements. They include economic sanctions, targeted sanctions, diplomatic measures and visa restrictions, aiming to bring an end to the war of aggression, maximising pressure on Moscow and reducing its ability to continue the war.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
