After his meeting in Brussels European Union leaders called on Russia to take steps to reduce tensions around Ukraine and tame aggressive rhetoric, the BBC reported.
The EU warns that if Russia invades Ukraine, this there will be serious consequences and coordinated will follow sanctions against Moscow. This is not the first warning from Western leaders, who have repeatedly expressed concern over the build-up of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border.
“The European Council emphasizes the urgent need for de-escalation by Russia the tensions caused by the concentration of Russian troops along its border with Ukraine and aggressive rhetoric, “the EU’s final declaration said.
“The European Council calls on the diplomatic steps and supports the Normandy format in order to fully implement the Minsk agreements, “the document said.
EU leaders emphasize that if Russia invades in the sovereign territory of Ukraine, she will have to “pay a high price, including restrictive measures agreed with partners “.
The Baltics and Central Europe are calling on the EU to unite behind new sanctions against Russia
Lithuania worried about possible Russian military strikes by Belarus
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Earlier, warnings to the Kremlin not to attack Ukraine were issued by the US president Joe Biden and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Moscow denies that it intends to invade the neighboring country, while formally urging NATO to rescind its decision at its 2008 Bucharest meeting on Ukraine and Georgia’s future membership in the Alliance and to formally abandon eastward enlargement.
NATO has once again rejected Russia’s claims to impose decisions on the fate of other countries.
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The NATO chief scolded Russia for its demands for Ukraine’s membership
“This is in no way a threat to Russia.”
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“The issue of NATO ‘s relations with Ukraine will be decided only by the 30 Allies and Ukraine, and from no one else, “NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference with new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brussels.
“We cannot agree with the Russian experiments to revive a system in which major influential countries such as Russia have spheres of influence in which they can to decide what others should do “, Stoltenberg is categorical.
