EU to hit Russia with 'harshest' sanctions over Ukraine attack! Charles,Ursula and Emmanouel explain

The package of massive and targeted sanctions approved tonight shows how united the EU is. First, this package includes financial sanctions, targeting 70% of the Russian banking market and key state owned companies, including in defence. #StandWithUkraine European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says sanctions will will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy. EU sanctions target '70% of the Russian banking'. European Union leaders will impose new sanctions on Russia, freezing its assets, halting its banks’ access to European financial markets and targeting “Kremlin interests” for its invasion of Ukraine, senior officials have said. NATO Allies condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms! #RUSSIA #Ukraine #EUCO EU leaders approved a new set of sanctions that will restrict Russia’s access to Europe’s financial sector and key technology. The measures could be formally adopted as soon as Friday after officials hammer out final details, and came after similar expanded sanctions were announced in the UK and the US. “The European Council today agrees on further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action, in close co-ordination with our partners and allies,” a report from the online summit said. “These sanctions cover the financial sector, the energy and transport sectors, dual-use goods as well as export control and export financing, visa policy, additional listings of Russian individuals and new listing criteria.” The EU’s 27 leaders met in Brussels after the G7 talks to discuss tightening sanctions, just hours after a previous round of measures took effect in a failed attempt to deter Russian aggression. They agreed sanctions that target 70 per cent of the Russian banking market and key state owned companies, including in defence, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet early on Friday. Russian forces rained missiles on Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, and landed troops on its Black and Azov Sea coasts on Thursday, in the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II. The EU said it had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Brussels to condemn “the unprovoked, unjustified invasion”, warning him that a new “hard-hitting” package of sanctions would be decided at the summit in coordination with its transatlantic partners. ‘Barbaric attack’ “We condemn this barbaric attack and the cynical arguments to justify it,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said. “It is President Putin who is bringing war back to Europe.” “With this package, we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to technologies and markets that are key to Russia,” she added. “We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernise.” Russian assets in the EU would also be frozen and Russian banks’ access to Europe’s financial markets would be stopped. However, cutting Russia off the SWIFT global interbank payments system – one of the toughest non-military sanctions the West could impose – is unlikely to be agreed to at this stage, several EU sources told the Reuters news agency. The EU approved a first round of sanctions on Wednesday, including blacklisting Russian politicians and curbing trade between the EU and two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine whose independence Moscow has recognised. The new measures, to be discussed at the evening summit of national EU leaders, will be “the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented”, said the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. “This is among the darkest hours for Europe since the end of World War II … Russia’s leadership will face unprecedented isolation.” The EU will also prepare a new aid package for Ukraine, he added. “We will also be active in supporting evacuation operations, including our own staff in zones affected by this Russian attack,” Borrell said. Russia promises response The main features of the new sanctions package had been agreed upon by member states, the DPA news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources. The measures would target Russia’s energy, finance and transport sectors. The measures also include export controls on key technologies and restrictions on travel to the EU with diplomatic and service passports. Moscow promised to respond in kind to “unfriendly” EU sanctions imposed for its invasion of Ukraine. “In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, which is fundamental to international law, we will take tough retaliatory measures,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. https://eudebates.tv/ #eudebates