EU Ministers To Discuss Work On Anti-Russia Sanctions At Monday Meeting - Council

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2022) The permanent representatives of the EU members countries will start technical work on the sanctions against Russia during the Monday meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, according to the documents published on the website of the Council of the European Union on Friday.

"The Foreign Affairs Council will continue the discussion on the Russian aggression against Ukraine. At the beginning of the meeting, ministers will be joined via video conference by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, who will update them on the situation on the ground and Ukraine's current priorities," the document said.

According to the agenda, "the discussion will then focus on selected work strands of the EU's support for Ukraine, covering possible further EU military assistance and work on sanctions, including strengthening implementation and preventing circumvention."

"Furthermore, ministers will follow up on their previous discussion on the Action Plan on the geopolitical consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on third countries," the document added.

The meeting will also address aspects related to food security as well as the ongoing UN-led efforts to enable the export of grains from Ukraine via the Black Sea.

"Ministers will then discuss the issue of accountability for war crimes and human rights violations, in the aftermath of the Ukraine Accountability Conference, which took place in the Hague on 14 July 2022," the document said. "The meeting will be the first after the European Council's decision in June to grant Ukraine the status of candidate country. Ministers could refer to Ukraine's ongoing reform agenda."

The European Union, the United States and their allies have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Russia since the country started a military operation in Ukraine in late February, including cutting off Russian banks from SWIFT and imposing strict trade and logistics controls.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.