EU: more sanctions on Russia by Feb. 24

The EU’s 10th package of sanctions will hit Russia by Feb. 24, the first anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised in Kyiv on Thursday.

Speaking at the joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after their meeting, von der Leyen said that sanctions have been exacting a heavy price on Moscow, “throwing it back by a generation,” with the EU price cap on oil alone making Russia lose some 160 million euros ($176 million) daily, according to RFERL.

Responding to a remark by Zelenskiy, who said Kyiv hopes the bloc’s sanctions campaign will gain momentum again after appearing to have “slightly slowed down” recently, von der Leyen said the EU would “introduce with our G7 partners an additional price cap on Russian petroleum products, and by the 24th of February – exactly one year since the invasion started – we aim to have the 10th package of sanctions in place.”

Dear @ZelenskyyUa, while Ukrainians are fighting to defend our common values, we support your economic security.

To date, our EU support amounts to €50 billion.

We are with you on this for the long haul. https://t.co/tA0cpqjkJG

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 2, 2023

The EC president arrived in Kyiv for a College-to-Government meeting with the Government of Ukraine together with 15 other members of the College of Commissioners to “exchange on the many areas of cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, and discuss the upcoming reconstruction as well as the country’s European path,” according to a statement by the EC.