Sunday’s election in Ukraine, deemed a success by the European Union,
is likely to ease pressure for far-reaching sanctions against Russia as
Europe worries about how punitive steps might hurt its own economy.
Hours after Petro Poroshenko won an overwhelming election victory to claim the presidency, Ukraine launched air strikes and a paratrooper assault on Monday in a defiant response to pro-Russian rebels who seized an airport.
Leaders of EU governments are expected to discuss Ukraine’s problems and possible future sanctions at an informal summit in Brussels on Tuesday evening, but diplomats said there was little chance of a strong push for more punitive measures.
“We are not going to go forward on this for the moment,” one senior EU diplomat told reporters.
The election had been billed as a crucial test of whether Europe needed to step up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But deep trade ties with Russia and widespread dependence on its energy reserves mute any EU enthusiasm to tighten sanctions.
The bloc’s most senior officials said on Monday they saw the vote as a major step towards reducing tensions between Kiev and Moscow.
Read more: EU losing enthusiasm for Russia sanctions in wake of Ukrainian vote - The Globe and Mail
Hours after Petro Poroshenko won an overwhelming election victory to claim the presidency, Ukraine launched air strikes and a paratrooper assault on Monday in a defiant response to pro-Russian rebels who seized an airport.
Leaders of EU governments are expected to discuss Ukraine’s problems and possible future sanctions at an informal summit in Brussels on Tuesday evening, but diplomats said there was little chance of a strong push for more punitive measures.
“We are not going to go forward on this for the moment,” one senior EU diplomat told reporters.
The election had been billed as a crucial test of whether Europe needed to step up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But deep trade ties with Russia and widespread dependence on its energy reserves mute any EU enthusiasm to tighten sanctions.
The bloc’s most senior officials said on Monday they saw the vote as a major step towards reducing tensions between Kiev and Moscow.
Read more: EU losing enthusiasm for Russia sanctions in wake of Ukrainian vote - The Globe and Mail
No comments:
Post a Comment