Gordan Grlić-Radman, Croatian Minister debates Russia's influence in Bosnia and the Western Balkans!

EU foreign ministers discussed the bloc’s approach to Iran, with some calling for sanctions if the country is involved in the Ukraine war. Ukraine reported in recent weeks that Russia attacked targets with Iranian Shahed 136 drones, while Tehran denies supplying Moscow with drones, according to Reuters reporting on Monday. #eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #PUTIN #war #EuropeanUnion #VonderLeyen #putinswar #Russia #Ukraine #Iran Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced before the start of the meeting in Luxembourg that the EU plans to look into Ukraine’s accusations. He added that Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba will attend the meeting. According to two EU diplomats involved in the talks, the bloc could impose additional sanctions against Tehran if Ukraine’s accusations are true, but stressed that it would take time to reach an agreement on the matter. Jeppe Kofod, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, announced a strong EU response to recent air attacks on Kiev. EU response announced “What we can see now: Iranian drones are used apparently to attack in the middle of Kiev… this is an atrocity,” he stressed and added that the EU would respond to the incident as well as the crackdown on protests in Iran. The EU previously announced sanctions against roughly 15 Iranians involved in the crackdown on protests that started in September over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody. France and Germany stressed the importance of imposing sanctions over the drone incident, pointing out that sale of drones to Russia violates UN Security Council’s resolution. Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, announced that additional EU sanctions will not stop at blacklisting of those involved in the crackdown if Iran’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine is proven. “Then it will be no longer about some individuals to be sanctioned,” he stressed before the meeting of foreign ministers.Borrell noted that he does not expect any progress in talks to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. “I don’t expect any move, that’s a pity because we were very, very close,” he pointed out and reminded that negotiations with Tehran were stalled in recent weeks. Some European Union foreign ministers on Monday called for new sanctions against Iran if Tehran’s involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine is proven. Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented. “We will look for concrete evidence about the participation [of Iran in the Ukraine war],” Josep Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, adding Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba would take part in the gathering. The EU could decide to move towards imposing new sanctions against Iran over the matter, according to two diplomats involved in preparing talks among the ministers, though no detailed decisions were expected on Monday. Denmark’s Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said the EU should react strongly to new air attacks on Kyiv where drones struck buildings near a central railway station during rush hours on Monday morning. “What we can see now: Iranian drones are used apparently to attack in the middle of Kyiv, this is an atrocity,” Kofod said, saying the EU had to take “concrete steps" in response to that, as well as Tehran cracking down on protesters at home. The bloc is already set to impose on Monday travel bans and freeze the assets of some 15 Iranians involved in a government crackdown that began last month against demonstrators outraged by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. France and Germany, both parties to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, have made it clear they believed new sanctions in connection to the drones used by Russia were necessary given that such transfers violated a resolution by the UN Security Council. Additional EU sanctions on Iran will not be limited to blacklisting some individuals should Tehran’s involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine be proven, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said. “Then it will be no longer about some individuals to be sanctioned,” he told reporters as he arrived for the EU meeting.