EU formally adopts new sanctions against Russia 

Latest update : 2014-09-09

The European Union formally agreed to a series of new sanctions against Russia on Monday but said their implementation over the coming days would depend on Russian efforts to maintain a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, said the EU was prepared to "review" the sanctions, offering Russia a chance to scale back its military actions in Ukraine in an effort to avoid the implementation of the measures.

"Depending on the situation on the ground, the EU stands ready to review the agreed sanctions in whole or in part," Van Rompuy said after a last-minute meeting of EU envoys in Brussels.

The new round of sanctions will tighten existing measures imposed in July, targeting more individuals with travel bans and asset freezes as well as tightening access to capital markets for Russian oil and defence companies.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had earlier warned of an "asymmetrical" response should new sanctions be adopted, saying that EU airlines could be banned from flying over Russian airspace on their lucrative Asian routes.

Van Rompuy said in a statement that the measures would come into force over the next few days. "This will leave time for an assessment of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace plan,” he said.

"We have noted that Russia only consented with difficulty to serious negotiations. The ceasefire is an important step, but it is only a step," Van Rompuy told Belgian television on Sunday.

'Special status' for rebel regions

The 12-point ceasefire agreement signed Friday in the Belarussian capital Minsk is seen as the most significant to date because it won the formal backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin – a decisive player in the conflict despite Russia's denials of direct involvement.

But the truce delays difficult decisions about the status of the separatist Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which account for one-sixth of Ukraine's population and a quarter of its exports. Separatist rebels there insist they will not give up their demands for independence.

The peace deal temporarily affords the two districts "special status" within Ukraine that would allow them to introduce self-government and conduct early local elections.

But Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk warned Sunday that Kiev would have to impose martial law should the ceasefire collapse.

"If we have a peace plan that the EU and the US support, and which Russia implements, then of course we do not need martial law," Yatseniuk told Ukrainian television. "But if this truce ends the same way as all the other truces, and not just in Ukraine, then we will have no other choice."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Date created : 2014-09-08