Germany urges European allies to step 'out of its comfort zone,' hitting Russia with tougher sanctions
Photo: Chief of Staff of Germany's new Chancellor, Thorsten Frei (Getty Images)
The new German government believes that Europe must step "out of its comfort zone” when it comes to sanctions against Russia. Berlin argues that sanctions should be imposed on Russian gas and uranium, Reuters reports, citing the Chief of Staff of Germany's new Chancellor, Thorsten Frei.
German politician believes that the upcoming 18th EU sanctions package against Russia, which began to be prepared on May 20, should be tough and include measures that may affect other EU countries.
"We must step out of our comfort zone and adopt measures that truly go beyond the status quo," Frei said.
When asked if this includes bans on gas or uranium imports and the use of frozen Russian state assets, Frei responded: "These are exactly the kinds of measures that would really hurt Russia - and thus achieve the impact we actually intend with sanctions."
The Chief of Staff of Germany's new Chancellor also supported calls for sanctions against the Nord Stream gas pipeline running through the Baltic Sea.
In addition, Frei accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having no intention to seek peace, noting that even during talks with Ukraine last week in Istanbul, Russian attacks "continued unabated - they even intensified". The German politician believes Putin is stalling for time.
Meanwhile, Frei did not rule out the possibility of Germany increasing its military assistance to Ukraine, though he did not specify how much this support could grow.
Sanctions against Russia
On May 20, the European Union adopted its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, which targeted Russia's shadow fleet.
Earlier, leaders of France, Germany, the UK, and other European countries declared their readiness to tighten sanctions against Moscow if it refuses to cease fire or take other steps toward peace.
US President Donald Trump also stated that he is considering sanctions against Russia. However, Washington has been slow to implement them.
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is in no rush to impose sanctions, claiming this could cause Russia to withdraw from peace talks on ending the war against Ukraine.
