The European Union will respond without delay and with specific restrictive measures targeting specific individuals responsible for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said in a written statement.
“The EU strongly condemns President Putin's decision to recognize the uncontrolled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as independent entities and the subsequent decision to send Russian troops to those areas. “This illegal act further undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and independence and is a serious violation of international law and international agreements, including the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter and the Budapest Memorandum.”
“As a signatory to the Minsk agreements, Russia has a clear and immediate responsibility to work for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in accordance with these principles. “By declaring the non-government-controlled region of eastern Ukraine an 'independent state', Russia is clearly violating the Minsk agreements, which provide for the full return of these territories to the control of the Ukrainian government,” he added. >
“As a result, Russia is violating its commitment to work within the framework of the Normandy and the Tripartite Contact Group to find a peaceful solution to this conflict, a commitment which it has repeatedly reiterated, including very recently. It also violates UN Security Council Resolution 2202, which requires full implementation of the Minsk Agreements, “he said.
“We urge Russia, as a party to the conflict, to withdraw its recognition, to abide by its commitments, to abide by international law and to return to the Normandy and the Tripartite Contact Group.” We urge other states not to follow Russia's illegal decision to recognize this declared independence, “he said.” The EU will respond immediately to these latest violations with additional restrictive measures, including all economic “Non-governmental controlled areas, as well as designations against individuals and entities responsible for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity, in coordination with our partners,” he said. “We warn Russia not to use the recent agreements with the so-called “democracies” as a pretext for taking further military action against Ukraine. “The EU stands ready to rapidly adopt broader political and economic sanctions,” he said. its borders. “The EU reaffirms its commitment to strengthening its political and economic relations with Ukraine.”
