The EU mentioned it was hitting Russian ally Belarus with sanctions for facilitating Ukraine invasion.
Brussels:
The European Union (EU) on Sunday introduced swingeing new sanctions towards Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, closing its airspace to Russian plane and banning Russian state media retailers broadcasting within the bloc.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, asserting the measures, additionally mentioned the European Union was taking the unprecedented step of financing arms to Ukraine, and was hitting Russian ally Belarus with sanctions for facilitating the invasion.
We’re stepping up our help for Ukraine.
For the primary time, the EU will finance the acquisition and supply of weapons and gear to a rustic below assault.
We’re additionally strengthening our sanctions towards the Kremlin.
https://t.co/qEBICNxYa1— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 27, 2022
The measures come on high of sanctions von der Leyen introduced a day earlier which might be about to be applied: reducing some Russian banks from the SWIFT interbank messaging community, banning all transactions with Russia’s central financial institution, and added restrictions on Russian oligarchs.
The EU has additionally sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Collectively, the steps added as much as the hardest stance the European Union has taken towards a rustic, reflecting the bloc’s horror and anger at Putin’s assault on Ukraine, launched on Thursday.
“Because the warfare in Ukraine rages on, and Ukrainians battle bravely for his or her nation, the European Union steps up as soon as extra its help for Ukraine and the sanctions towards the aggressor — Putin’s Russia,” von der Leyen mentioned in a broadcast handle.
She mentioned the airspace ban would prohibit flights into or over the EU by “each Russian airplane — and that features the personal jets of oligarchs”.
The measure consolidated what was already de facto largely in place, with most of the EU’s 27 nations individually asserting airspace closures to Russian flights.
Stopping Russian “Lies”
The transfer towards Russian state media focused its retailers Russia Right now — referred to as RT — and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries.
Von der Leyen mentioned they “will not have the ability to unfold their lies to justify Putin’s warfare and to sow division in our Union”.
The EU’s overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell, at her facet, mentioned the measure concerned “banning Russia Right now and Sputnik from broadcasting within the European Union”.
Sputnik responded with a sardonic assertion saying: “We recommend the European Fee not cease midway and ban the web altogether.”
RT’s French subsidiary tweeted that the ban “goes towards the very ideas of freedom of expression” and mentioned it was a sufferer of “censorship”.
Von der Leyen mentioned the sanctions towards Belarus have been aimed toward “the opposite aggressor on this warfare”, naming the regime of strongman Alexander Lukashenko.
“We’ll hit Lukashenko’s regime with a brand new bundle of sanctions,” she mentioned.
“We’ll introduce restrictive measures towards their most vital sectors. This may cease their exports of merchandise from mineral fuels to tobacco, wooden and timber, cement, iron and metal.
“We may even prolong to Belarus the export restrictions we launched on dual-use items for Russia.”
Belarusians serving to Russia’s navy operation would even be sanctioned, she mentioned.
Von der Leyen mentioned the choice to offer funding for the acquisition and supply of arms to Ukraine was “a watershed second for our Union”.
Borrell mentioned he would “suggest to make use of the European Peace Facility for emergency help measures to finance the provision of deadly materials to the Ukrainian military, in addition to badly wanted gas, protecting gear and medical provides”.
He mentioned “we’re doing this as a result of this warfare requires our engagement in an effort to help the Ukrainian military — as a result of we reside in unprecedented instances”.
Borrell was to chair a digital assembly of the EU’s overseas ministers simply after the declarations.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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