The European Union supports all diplomatic efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, but the precondition for any decisions on reviewing or lifting sanctions against Russia is the end of the war and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire territory of Ukraine.
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated this at a briefing in Brussels.
"These sanctions were imposed in the context of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, and the end of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, along with the unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine, is one of the main preconditions for reviewing or lifting the sanctions. Russia must demonstrate genuine political will to end its criminal and unprovoked aggressive war," the spokesperson said.
She emphasized that the EU's position remains unchanged: any peace agreement and discussions on a peaceful settlement must lead to a just, lasting, and sustainable peace for Ukraine.
Hipper also noted that the EU's approach distinguishes between political and legal aspects.
"From a political perspective, our goal is to maximize pressure on Russia using all available tools. We have implemented 16 sanction packages and are preparing the next one. At the same time, we are increasing support for Ukraine, including military aid, ammunition, and air defense systems. This is being done to achieve a just and lasting peace. Ukraine wants this more than anyone else, and the EU shares this goal. We support all negotiations that lead to such an outcome," the EC spokesperson stressed.
She also reminded that, from a legal standpoint, all EU decisions on sanctions policy must be made by consensus.
Meanwhile, European Commission spokesperson for economic security and trade Olof Gill, commenting on Russia’s demand to restore its banks' access to the SWIFT payment system, said that the mere fact of such a demand as a precondition for a partial ceasefire proves the effectiveness of EU sanctions.
"The EU has extended this ban to Russian and Belarusian banks, preventing them from using the SWIFT payment system, which limits their ability to finance their criminal aggressive war. These banks can no longer freely receive foreign currency or transfer assets abroad, and this has negative consequences for the Russian and Belarusian economies. Our sanctions are hitting the Russian economy, and that is why they want to get rid of them," Gill said.
