Rinkēvičs affirmed the need to work on preparing the EU’s seventh sanctions package against Russia and Belarus while continuing to implement current sanctions and eliminating their shortcomings.
“We must not forget about the co-responsibility of the Belarusian regime in Russia’s war in Ukraine. We must work to prepare and approve the next round of sanctions against Belarus. We must continue to provide all the necessary support to Ukraine, especially in the form of military aid and through the European Peace Facility. We support the approval of the fifth tranche of military aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Rinkēvičs said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that coordinated communication and active political dialogue with the international community are necessary for maintaining a united position against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
“The European Union and its Member States must support the countries most affected by the food crisis caused by Russia through providing them with direct food relief, thus expressing our solidarity and ensuring the support of these countries for the European Union’s position against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This would also contribute to reducing potential migration flows in the European Union that would inevitably be caused by a significant deterioration of the situation,” the Minister said.
“In international efforts to restart Ukrainian grain exports, Ukraine’s interests and security considerations must be taken into account. Russia must compensate Ukraine for all damages caused by its aggression, including taking responsibility for the destruction of Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure,” Rinkēvičs stated.
The Minister also declared that the EU needs to develop a legal framework for the confiscation and transfer of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine as part of rebuilding efforts.
