KinshasaWorld – Emmanuel Macron warned Friday, at the end of the summit that the Europeans were ready to take “massive sanctions” against Russia if the war in Ukraine continued. “If things continue on the military level, we will take new sanctions, including massive sanctions”, declared the French president in front of the press, while affirming that the EU would support Ukraine “until the end”. “We are ready to sanction, beyond what has been done. Nothing is forbidden, nothing is taboo”, he added, specifying on purpose to preserve “strategic ambiguity”.
Doubling European support for the Ukrainian war effort, massive new sanctions against the Kremlin, and a plan to end the EU’s fossil dependence on Russia by 2027: after the summit European two days which ended Friday in Versailles, the Twenty-Seven reiterate their support for Ukraine, “member of the European family”.
The message of the two-day summit which ended Friday, March 11 in Versailles is clear: the EU remains in solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, despite threats from the Kremlin. Among the key statements are “new massive sanctions” against Russia if the war in Ukraine continues.
EU leaders have further agreed on a plan to exit the EU’s fossil dependence on Russia by 2027, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposes to double EU financial support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“The G7 will announce in the coming hours a new salvo of sanctions against Russia, and the European Central Bank will have to continue the work because of the tensions arising from the Russian invasion in Ukraine”, added the French head of state. , Emmanuel Macron.
“A fourth package will come. And as the President has said, we are determined to respond appropriately to the atrocious aggression carried out by Vladimir Putin and we will be forceful in our response”, for her part assured the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Its services have studied all the sanction options which are submitted to the Member States for adoption.
These warnings come as the Russian army on Friday extended its offensive to another major Ukrainian city, Dnipro, and continued its bombardments which hit homes and civilian infrastructure.
European leaders have agreed on a plan to end the EU’s fossil fuel dependence on Russia by 2027, with a first milestone in mid-May on oil, the president announced on Friday. Frenchman Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
In the “Declaration of Versailles”, adopted at the end of the summit, the Twenty-Seven reaffirm their support for Ukraine, “a member of the European family”, in the face of the Russian invasion.
A task force, said Ursula von der Leyen, will work on plans to end the EU’s energy dependence on Russia and stop support measures for households affected by rising prices Energy.
The objective is to “better resist price shocks linked to this geopolitical context”, said the French president. This plan “for the exit from fossil dependence on Russia”, by 2027, “assumes new investments, new equipment, strategies in terms of renewable energies and nuclear”, he said. – he said at a press conference. “Defending democracy and our values has a cost,” he stressed.
The High Representative of the European Union for “We are ready to sanction, beyond what has been done. Nothing is forbidden, nothing is taboo”, he added, specifying to preserve on purpose “strategic ambiguity.”
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said he had “made a proposal to double the contribution (from the EU) with 500 million euros more for armaments in support of the Ukrainian army”. “I’m sure the leaders will support her,” he added. The funding comes from the “European Peace Facility”, a fund endowed with 5 billion euros created and topped up by the Member States outside the Community budget.
The use of funding is decided unanimously, but governments have the option of resorting to “constructive abstention” so as not to block the decision. This option offered to countries that cannot agree to deliver arms to a country at war made it possible to release a first envelope of 500 million euros at the end of February.
The money from the “European Peace Facility” is used to reimburse the supply of armaments taken by the Member States from their stocks.
“The equipment must appear on the list of armaments requested by Ukraine and the reimbursements are retroactive to January 1, 2022”, explained a European official responsible for the management of this financial facility.
The Ukrainian government has made very specific demands for equipment that the fighters are capable of using, including air defense systems and anti-tank weapons that have been successfully used to halt the advance of Russian troops and deprive them of air supremacy, a- he explained.
The armaments are transported in a coordinated way to Poland, which has agreed to be the hub for military aid to the Ukrainian government, and they are then transported to Ukraine. “We are going to be much more discreet about what we do,” said the European official.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that countries that support Ukraine will come under attack and his Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has called these Western arms deliveries “dangerous”. “Those who are arming Ukraine must of course understand that they will bear responsibility for their actions,” Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.
Emmanuel Macron meanwhile announced that he was going to “meet in the coming hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin” to try to obtain a ceasefire and request the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Gisèle Mbuyi/MMC/AFP
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