The 27 must agree in the coming days on a new “ceiling”, in collaboration with the G7, this time on refined petroleum products from Russia.
By Belga with the editorial staff.
LEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on Thursday that the EU was preparing, on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (February 24), a new sanctions package, which would be the 10th in response to aggression. Speaking at a press briefing in kyiv, alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the German assured that Russia was already paying a “high price” for its actions, due to successive trains of European sanctions.
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Ursula von der Leyen also attacked the Russian president: “Putin denied the existence of Ukraine, but what he risks is the future of Russia”, she declared. . “By having the College of Commissioners and the Government of Ukraine at the same table, we are working on supporting the Ukrainian people, but also on how we are going to build a future for Ukraine in Europe”.
A new support
“Crude oil price caps are already costing Russia about 160 million euros a day,” she said, promising to “continue to increase the pressure” on Moscow. In this context, the 27 must agree in the coming days on a new ‘ceiling’, in collaboration with the G7, this time on refined petroleum products from Russia. Like what was introduced for crude last December, a European embargo on these products comes into force on February 5, with a parallel ban on European companies providing transport, insurance, etc. ., for products exceeding a certain selling price.
As for crude oil, the debate is fierce to determine this “ceiling” price. The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU decided on Wednesday to give more time to negotiations on this element. A “Coreper” (meeting of the ambassadors of the 27) scheduled for Thursday was postponed to Friday 2:00 p.m., with the aim of finalizing the decision before Sunday, confided a diplomatic source.
A strong delegation from the European Commission traveled to kyiv on Thursday for a meeting with the Ukrainian government, a “strong symbol” of the European executive’s continued support for the country in the face of Russian aggression. In all, fifteen commissioners are accompanying Ursula von der Leyen there, including the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, the executive vice-presidents of the Commission Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, as well as the commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders.
“By bringing together the College of Commissioners and the Ukrainian government, we are able to work on current support for Ukrainian citizens, but also on how to build Ukraine’s future in the EU,” said Ursula von der Leyen. , highlighting the “legendary bravery” shown by Ukrainian citizens since the Russian invasion. The Commission intends, among other things, to invite kyiv to join the European platform for joint gas purchases, and to sign an agreement in principle on “renewable” gas, “such as biomethane and hydrogen”, she announced.
