Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels
On Monday, ministers from the 27 EU member states met in Brussels to discuss growing tensions with Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined them via video conference. The West warns that the toughest financial sanctions ever imposed on Moscow will be exposed if Ukraine is invaded.
Moscow accuses the West of unnecessary provocation. This, while the United States plans to deploy thousands of soldiers and military equipment in Eastern Europe. Many security analysts say the Kremlin is fully justified in demanding that NATO halt its expansion around Russia. There are fears that if a new sanctions package is unveiled, Moscow could cut off essential gas supplies to the EU. Speaking to us online, Amanda Paul of the European Policy Center expressed skepticism about the threats from Brussels.
Also on Monday, the EU announced 1.2 billion euros to support Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen says another 6 billion euros are in the pipeline for Kyiv. This is on top of the 17 billion euros already sent by the EU to Ukraine since 2014. Critics are exasperated because the bloc’s own agency, the European Court of Auditors, says Ukraine is extremely corrupt.
Negotiations between the West and Russia will continue at different political levels in the coming days. Analysts say the only option is for both sides to give ground because the alternative is unthinkable.
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