MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th August, 2022) Sweden is pushing for the eighth package of sanctions against Russia and hopes that it will include measures against Russian gas deliveries in accordance with the European Union's plans to end dependence on Russian energy supplies, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Monday.
"We are pushing for the eighth package of sanctions, including gas. So, we hope that there will be a sanction also on gas," Linde said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The West and its allies responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Russia, with the EU pledging to end its dependence on Russian energy supplies. The bloc has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow, including a gradual phase-out of Russian oil, which has accelerated European-wide inflation and worsened the energy crisis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the policy of containing and weakening Moscow is part of West's� long-term strategy, while sanctions have hit the entire global economy.
