Foreign Minister says EU sanctions must “kill Russian exports”

"Evropeyska Pravda" — Monday, 16 May, 2022, 19:45

EU countries have expressed their readiness to start preparing a seventh package of sanctions against Russia as soon as the sixth package is approved.

According to "Evropeyska Pravda" the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba made this statement in Brussels after attending a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

"I appreciate the readiness of all member states that have expressed their readiness to begin work on the seventh package of sanctions as soon as the sixth is accepted.  It's inspiring," Kuleba said.

The minister said that he had presented a number of proposals to the foreign ministers on which sanctions could be included in the seventh package.

"One of these options can be summarized in three words: kill Russian exports. If we look at the structure of the economy, we see that as long as Russia exports its gas, oil and other goods, such as iron and other materials, it will have the money to continue the war," Kuleba said.

"To stop the Russian war machine, we must deprive Putin of money. This is what worries him: money and power, if we take away his money, he will be left with power, but with empty pockets. This is really the only way to stop the war: to deprive him of his income," he stressed.

At Monday's meeting EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs reportedly failed to reach agreement on the sixth package of sanctions and the oil embargo, in particular.

Kuleba said that  only one state continues to block sanctions.