Russia’s war of aggression, four years on: Europe stands firmly by Ukraine’s side

Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of Russia’s brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since 24 February 2022, daily life for people in Ukraine has been marked by destruction, unspeakable suffering and air strikes on an almost daily basis. From the outset, the European Union has presented a united front in standing with Ukraine.

Against the background of ongoing Russian attacks, EU Foreign Ministers will today send a clear message of support for Ukraine, and for staying the course: European assistance for Ukraine will continue for as long as it takes – whether this aid be political, economic, humanitarian or military. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will participate in the beginning of the meeting via a video link and will report on the current situation.

Providing enhanced support to Ukraine

In addition to sanctions targeting Russia, talks will also centre on support for Ukraine. Germany is advocating for swift implementation, with as little red tape as possible, of the agreed credit line in the amount of 90 billion euro for strengthening Ukraine’s defensive capabilities – the aim being to quickly get funds to where they are needed most.

Bilateral support from EU member states is crucial for Ukraine, as well, especially in the military sector and with a view to securing the country’s energy supply. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, Germany has provided more than 1.2 billion euro for stabilising the Ukrainian energy sector. For the current winter, Germany is making available an additional support package in the amount of nearly 400 million euro. In this way, we are very much helping to keep operational the country’s electricity and heating systems, even though they are subjected to targeted Russian attacks.

Joint agreement on the 20th sanctions package: further ramping up pressure on Russia

A key item on the Council’s agenda is the adoption of the 20th EU sanctions package. Our aim is to further limit Russia’s ability to fund its war of aggression, as Russia is still obtaining significant revenue via its energy sector, especially with oil exports.

Germany is strongly advocating for a comprehensive ban on maritime services for the transport of Russian oil with all EU member states. What is more, additional individual sanctions are being imposed to increase pressure on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, which is used by Moscow to circumvent existing sanctions and continue generating income. Furthermore, Germany is committed to implementing additional measures against entities in the energy and financial sectors, as well as against those who support Russia’s war economy.

The 20th sanctions package will for the first time use a new instrument to prevent the circumvention of sanctions. This clearly shows that the European Union is firmly opposing attempts by Moscow to circumvent sanctions and is taking action against states enabling their circumvention. Germany is also working with other partners to consistently counter structures that are used for this purpose.

The Middle East: the EU’s responsibility with respect to stability and humanitarian assistance

Also on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council is the situation in the Middle East. The focus is on the situation in Gaza and the role of the European Union in the context of the 20-point plan for security and stability in the Gaza Strip. At their meeting, Foreign Ministers will have an exchange with Nickolay Mladenov on the next steps. Mladenov is High Representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace that was recently established by the United States President.

As the EU, we support implementation of the 20-point plan and are seeking to work together with all suitable transitional structures – first and foremost with the National Committee on the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) that is composed of Palestinian representatives. Meanwhile, it remains clear that humanitarian principles and obligations under international law must be respected at all times. The chief aim is to improve the humanitarian situation and to find a way of opening up a political prospect for the people in Gaza.

Keeping an eye on the West Bank and Iran

Germany is extremely concerned about the recent legal changes in Israel that seriously jeopardise the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution and that have implications for Areas A and B in the West Bank, which are under autonomous Palestinian administrative control. At the Foreign Affairs Council, Germany is advocating for a unified European position on this issue.

Another topic on the agenda is Iran, as the US and Iran are engaged in talks in Geneva with a view to finding a diplomatic solution. Prior to the Council meeting, political agreement was reached in January to add the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the EU’s list of terrorist organisations – as a response to the IRGC’s bloody role in putting down the peaceful protests in Iran. At the same time, Germany is campaigning for keeping up pressure through other means, as well – for example, by adding additional listings to the EU global human rights sanctions regime and by taking action against entities that provide financial support to the IRGC. However, close coordination with other member states remains key in this regard.

Syria: enabling enhanced European engagement

Considering the fragile situation in Syria, Germany is using the Foreign Affairs Council to convince its EU partners that an increase in support is needed, especially for north-eastern Syria. Furthermore, Germany is advocating for European measures that will facilitate trade and investment and can thus promote economic stabilisation.