EU leaders are pushing for the 21st sanctions package against Russia.
This is what EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says on the way to the second day of the informal EU summit in Cyprus.
- We have reached decisions on the EU loan to Ukraine and the 20th sanctions package against Russia.
- Now the heads of state and government are pushing for the 21st sanctions package against Russia. This sends a very clear signal to Russia that they cannot hold out any longer than we can, says Kaja Kallas.
Kallas's statement comes after she and the EU heads of state and government had a working dinner with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
Here Zelensky could be pleased that 90 billion euros are now on the way to Ukraine over the next two years. And that the grip on Russia's oil exports is being tightened with the new sanctions.
But more needs to be done, says Kaja Kallas.
- Now we must revisit the previous red lines that meant that sanctions were blocked. We must look at what more we can do, she says.
Thus, Kallas makes it clear that the EU countries will try to build on the momentum that has arisen after the election defeat of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.
Orbán stood in the way of both the EU loan for a long time - and together with Slovakia, also of the sanctions against Russia.
With the election defeat on April 12th to Viktor Orbán, there is hope in Brussels that Europe can stand more united on Ukraine in the future.
/ritzau/
