The European Union is discussing a possible new round of economic sanctions on Russia with the United States and Britain, but no decisions will be taken on Monday, the bloc's top diplomat said.

Reuters notes that the European Union, along with the United States, imposed economic sanctions on Russia in July 2014, targeting its energy, banking and defence sectors, and is considering taking further measures if Russia "tries to invade Ukraine".

"We are in deterrent mode," Josep Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "In any case we will send a clear signal that any aggression against Ukraine will have a high cost for Russia... We are studying together with the U.S. and the UK what (sanctions) could be, when and how, in a coordinated manner."

EU diplomats told Reuters the discussion was focused on a potential gradual increase of any sanctions, ranging from possible travel bans and asset freezes on powerful members of Russia's political elite and to banning all financial and banking links with Russia.

Sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany to prevent it becoming operational was also an option, as well as targeting more Russian state-owned defence and energy companies or cancelling natural gas contracts. 

But envoys said such steps were likely to be considered only if "the Russian military attempted a full invasion of Ukraine". NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly warned Russia that the Western military alliance is standing by Ukraine. Russia says it has no intention to invade Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of deploying half of the Ukrainian army to confront pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.

Russia's "possible aggression" against Ukraine was also considered at the NATO Council meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers in Riga on November 30 - December 1. The Russian Federation was then accused of threatening the alliance by displacing its armed forces on its own territory. “If you look at things realistically, the NATO military infrastructure is being built up, large-scale exercises are being conducted at our borders", the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “Ukraine’s entry into NATO is a “red line” for us. The continued involvement of Kiev in the military orbit of the alliance, the de facto development of the military infrastructure of that country by NATO and the desire to turn it into a base for confrontation with Russia have serious negative consequences and destabilize the military-political environment in Europe. After the end of the "cold war", Russia was repeatedly assured that NATO’s jurisdiction and military forces would not advance an inch eastward. All these promises have been forgotten and not fulfilled. The outcome is the current sad state of European security".

The Russian Foreign Ministry is convinced that the only way to resolve the current situation is to jointly develop long-term agreements that would exclude any further NATO moves eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten Russia in close proximity to its territory.

Source - vesnikkavkaza.net

14 December 2021 / 12:00