Amid the ceasefire efforts between Ukraine and Russia, the European Union on Tuesday agreed to impose fresh sanctions on Russia, notably targeting almost 200 ships from the shadow fleet illicitly transporting oil to skirt Western restrictions put in place over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.
EU Slaps New Sanctions On Russia As Ukraine Ceasefire Efforts Continue
At a key meeting in Brussels, EU defence and foreign ministers are prioritising Ukraine, with a focus on securing a ceasefire through increased US pressure on Russia.
During a meeting of EU defence and foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas demanded that Washington face “consequences” if Moscow “does not agree to an unconditional ceasefire", as per the reports.
What happened during the meeting?
During the meeting, foreign ministers formally adopted the EU's 17th package of sanctions on Russia.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said President Vladimir "Putin is showing interest in peace, but further sanctions are on the way. Russia's actions and those who enable Russia will face severe consequences."
The new measures are apparently unrelated to Russia's delay in agreeing to a ceasefire. Work on the measures began after the last package was finalised three months ago.
He added that another package of sanctions is also in the works. "We continue working on the next strong package of sanctions to put more pressure on Russia so that they would also want peace," Kallas said, as quoted by DW.
"There are sanctions regarding the oil price cap and energy, also the banking sector – the sanctions that will hurt Russia's economy."
Trump Demands Immediate Ceasefire
US President Donald Trump said Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks would begin "immediately" after a two-hour telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
However, the terms of the talks remain unclear at the moment, as Russia has demanded a “compromise” from Ukraine, and Kiev has rejected calls to withdraw its troops from territory forcibly occupied by Russia.
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