The EU intends to impose the harshest sanctions yet in response to Russia’s terror against civilians in Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced such plans ahead of a Council of EU Ministers meeting in Brussels, UkrInform reports.
On 22 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin honored the memory of those who died in battles with Nazi regime and few hours later launched a massive strike on Kyiv. According to the latest data, at least nine people were killed, including an 11-year-old girl. The body of her mother had been found earlier. Since US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts, Moscow has drastically increased its attacks on civilians.
Barrot condemned Moscow’s “limitless brutality”, pointing to the Kremlin’s deliberate missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure during recent nighttime attacks.
He emphasized that Russia’s war resembles an imperialist colonial campaign, and said that the Russian economy’s resources are increasingly being drained by it.
Russia’s economic resources will be depleted even further due to the sanctions package under discussion today, likely the most powerful since 2022, Barrot stated.
Putin mourned Nazi victims—then ordered missile strike on Kyiv, which kill 11-year-old girl and her mother
According to the French minister, the goal is to significantly escalate pressure on Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, pushing him toward a ceasefire and negotiations that could lead to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The upcoming EU measures are expected to target Russia’s financial sector, trade, energy industry, and access to dual-use technologies, which Moscow continues to seek through third countries.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian strikes became possible due to “a coalition of killers”, meaning Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
He said that every nation bordering them should ask themselves whether they could protect lives if it continues spreading terror.