EU wants to impose a new package of sanctions against Russia, one year after the start of the invasion in Ukraine
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by a team of 15 European Commissioners, is in Kyiv, at the first joint meeting with members of the Ukrainian Government. The meeting comes a day before the EU-Ukraine summit, which is being held in the war-torn capital of the neighboring country. The event will discuss the reforms that Ukraine should implement in order to join the EU bloc.
The European Union will impose new sanctions against Moscow before one year has passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the press conference after the meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. According to the European official, the existing sanctions are already "eroding" Russia's economy and "throwing it back a generation". Ursula von der Leyen has estimated that the existing oil price cap is costing Moscow around 160 million euros every day. "We will introduce, together with our G7 partners, an additional price ceiling for Russian oil products, and by February 24 - exactly one year after the beginning of the invasion - we aim to already have the 10th package of sanctions," said Ursula von der Leyen. At the same time, Ursula Von der Leyen appreciated Ukraine's efforts to fight corruption, recalling in context the dismissals of top officials, suspected of embezzlement. Also, on the eve of the summit in Kyiv, after a meeting with the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmygal, announced that the European Union will launch a humanitarian demining program worth 25 million euros for the liberated territories. During the meeting, European officials are to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine and its aspirations for EU membership. In June, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova received the status of candidate countries for EU accession.
