Russia’s war against Ukraine: thirteenth sanctions package can be adopted this week, EU Foreign Ministers say

On 19 February, the Foreign Affairs Council discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine, after a remote intervention by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Kuleba briefed the 27 EU Foreign Ministers, presided by EU High Representative Josep Borrell, on the latest developments on the ground, a few days ahead of the two years since the start of Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The Council discussion then focused on EU security commitments and military support to Ukraine, and discussed the way the EU could increase its provision of ammunition through bilateral and European frameworks.

“I am sure that Putin was not at all foreseeing the possibility that two years later, his army would still [be] fighting,” said Borrell. “But Putin continues to target civilian objects, civilian infrastructure in order to create human suffering among the population and to put their resilience to the test.”

Ministers also exchanged views on the 13th sanctions package to be adopted before 24 February, and the use of extraordinary revenues generated by the investment of Russian assets immobilised in the EU.

“We already know where they are, we have been identifying and blocking them. But one thing is to identify and to block them, and another thing is to seize it and to transfer [them] to the European Union budget,” said Borrell

Find out more

Press release