HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2022) Finland supports the drafting of new anti-Russian sanctions over Moscow's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
"Finland supported the preparation of the ninth package of sanctions against Russia. At the same time, we reported that Finland is preparing a new package of military assistance, which will be transferred to Ukraine soon," Haavisto said at a briefing broadcast by Finnish media.
Decisions on a new package of sanctions in the energy sector are especially difficult for the EU, he said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after the EU foreign ministerial that the ministers agreed to continue international isolation of Russia and sanctions pressure on it.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls by the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics for protection from Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, aims to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, and to completely liberate Donbas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weaponry for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.
