EU will not consider lifting sanctions against Russia without withdrawal of troops from Ukraine – European Commission
The European Union supports all diplomatic efforts aimed at establishing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine but will not consider lifting sanctions against Russia until Russian troops withdraw from Ukrainian territory.
This was stated by European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper during a briefing in Brussels, according to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform.
"These sanctions were imposed in the context of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine. The end of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, along with the unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine, is one of the key prerequisites for any review or lifting of sanctions. Russia must demonstrate genuine political will to end its criminal and unprovoked war of aggression," Hipper emphasized.
She emphasized that the EU's position remains unchanged: any peaceful resolution must guarantee a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
Commenting on Russia’s demand to restore Russian banks’ access to SWIFT in exchange for a maritime ceasefire, Olof Gill, the European Commission’s spokesperson for economic security, noted that such statements demonstrate the effectiveness of the sanctions.
"The EU has extended this ban to Russian and Belarusian banks, which are no longer able to use the SWIFT payment system. This limits their ability to finance their criminal war of aggression. These banks can no longer easily receive foreign currency or transfer foreign assets abroad, which has negative consequences for both the Russian and Belarusian economies. Our sanctions are hitting the Russian economy — that’s exactly why they want them lifted," Gill explained.
Earlier, it was reported that the Russian Federation is stalling the implementation of ceasefire arrangements by putting forward additional demands — in particular, the lifting of sanctions and the removal of restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products.
