European Parliament calls for new sanctions against Russia because of the situation in Avdiivka
The European Parliament called for introducing news sanctions against Russia as a result of the aggravated situation in the Donbas and failure to implement the Minsk agreements.
This was stated in the European Parliament by the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Guy Verhofstadt, Ukrinform reports.
"The EU should maintain the existing sanctions and prepare new ones if Russia continues to ignore the international law," he said commenting on the with the escalation of violence in the Donbas. He called on the EU leaders to take concrete steps to return to the process of political settlement.
Verhofstadt stressed that the "new military aggression started by the so-called separatists but supported by Russia" must be stopped by the Russian Federation. He also noted that Putin should not test the West’s resolve. "It is clear that the EU must now take decisive action to solve this European problem and take a leading role in it," he stated.
Avdiivka was left without water, electricity and heating when the fighting began. On the day before it started, former chairman of the European Parliament and current candidate for Chancellor of Germany from the Social Democrats, Martin Schulz, spoke out against the lifting of sanctions on Russia.