On Monday, EU foreign ministers will discuss new sanctions against Russia and further military aid to Ukraine. This time, the talks include Iranian companies that supply drones to the Russian army and Chinese arms supplies.
For example, EU sanctions against China are not ruled out if the government there supplies arms to Russia. This has been said by the Luxembourg Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn. A delivery of arms to Russia would mean a dramatic turnaround and have consequences for relations with the People’s Republic. China’s credibility with plans to unveil a peace plan Friday on the anniversary of the start of the war is also eroding, Asselborn said Monday.
There were also warnings from Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström and EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell. With arms deliveries to Russia, the Chinese government would cross a “red line”. Borrell made this clear to senior Chinese official Wang Yi, who assured him that China “had no intention of doing this”. The EU stands with the US on this issue, Billstrom said.
EU foreign ministers will discuss a tenth package of sanctions against Russia on Monday in Brussels. This includes, for example, a tougher approach to circumventing sanctions. Another point is additional trade restrictions for electronics, special vehicles and machine parts. In addition, the EU representatives are considering sanctions against seven Iranian companies that supply drones to Russia.
Get weapons faster
The supply of more arms and ammunition to Ukraine is also on the agenda. According to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a similar procedure to the rapid procurement of Covid-19 vaccines is being worked on. According to these, EU states could provide money that would be used to bundle large orders to the defense industry. Estonian head of department Urmas Reinsalu called on partners in Brussels to join his country’s procurement initiative.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked the Estonian government. As a first step, EU member states could supply one million 155mm guns to Ukraine. Kuleba will not personally travel to Brussels on Monday.
A tenth package of sanctions against Russia is expected at the meeting, as well as further sanctions against Iran over the government’s actions against protesters, and a decision on how to support girls and women in Afghanistan.
Source: Krone
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