Ukraine: EU presents 20th package of sanctions against Russia

Brussels, February 6 (LaPresse) – The European Commission has presented its 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The proposal will now be reviewed by the 27 member states, whose permanent representatives will meet next week, according to LaPresse. “While important peace talks are underway in Abu Dhabi, we must be clear: Russia will only come to the negotiating table with genuine intentions if it is pushed to do so,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This is the only language Russia understands. That is why we are stepping up today. The Commission is proposing a new package of sanctions, the 20th since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The new package of sanctions covers energy, financial services, and trade.“ ”Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will soon reach 1,500 days. Over the past year, Russian forces have advanced on average between 15 and 70 meters per day. They have captured only about 0.8% of Ukrainian territory, despite the highest casualty rate recorded in any military offensive since World War II, he points out. While Ukraine continues to defend itself with extraordinary courage on the battlefield, the Kremlin is doubling down on war crimes, deliberately targeting civilian homes and infrastructure. Energy facilities and heating systems have all been targeted, leaving entire communities without electricity in freezing temperatures. This is not the conduct of a state seeking peace. It is the behavior of a nation waging a war of attrition against an innocent civilian population.”