EU President at Paris summit: We must maintain sanctions on Russia to support Ukraine’s peace goals
Photo: António Costa, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
In the context of recent talks about easing sanctions against Russia, the EU has also spoken out on this issue. They directly link the restrictions to support for Ukraine, according to the President of the European Council, António Costa, at the opening of the summit in Paris.
Thus, according to him, EU countries should “continue to put pressure” on Russia through sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"The best way to support Ukraine is to stay true to our goal of achieving a just and lasting peace," he said.
According to Costa, this means maintaining pressure on Russia through sanctions.
Summit in Paris
The summit is taking place in Paris on March 27. The meeting will discuss strengthening the Ukrainian army and more.
More than 20 countries, including the European Union, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, and Türkiye, are participating.
It is also important that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is attending the summit. He arrived in Paris a day earlier, on March 26.
Sanctions against Russia
Sanctions against Russia, imposed after the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, have been discussed with renewed vigor after the Russians published a document following a meeting with the US delegation in Saudi Arabia.
In particular, the Kremlin has put forward a number of conditions for a ceasefire, including the connection of Russian banks to the SWIFT system.
Importantly, the United States will need Europe's consent to lift sanctions against Russia to fulfill Vladimir Putin's demand. But Brussels does not intend to ease sanctions.
