Britain yesterday called for “further” EU sanctions against Russia in response to its “dangerous” escalation of the crisis in eastern Ukraine.
“I will be arguing today that further sanctions have to be the response to Russia’s behavior,” British Secretary of Foreign Affairs William Hague said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
“There do have to be consequences,” Hague said, adding that the events of the last 48 hours are “clearly a further escalation of the crisis ... and clearly a very dangerous one.”
He said there could be no “doubt that this has been planned and brought about by Russia,” adding that Russian denials of involvement “do not have a shred of credibility.”
Moscow’s actions, similar to how it had orchestrated Crimea’s move to join Russia, meant it was time to discuss additional sanctions to asset freezes and travel bans already imposed on leading business and political figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said.
Other EU foreign ministers appeared reluctant to toughen reprisals against Russia by agreeing to move to a next stage of economic sanctions.
“With sanctions, we are not going to solve the problem,” Luxembourg Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn said, adding that everything must be done to ensure the success of EU-US mediated talks on Thursday in Geneva between Russia and Ukraine.
Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans said it was “too early” to discuss fresh sanctions, but warned that the EU had to be prepared to take the next step if Russia showed no sign of backing off.
Meanwhile, the EU formally approved a 1 billion euro (US$1.4 billion) assistance package to help Ukraine’s interim authorities overcome the country’s deep financial problems.
In a further move to revive the Ukrainian economy, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg also signed off on a plan to lower customs duties on Ukrainian goods that could save the country almost 500 million euros a year.
The ministers also added four people to a list of 18 Ukrainians subject to an EU visa ban and asset freeze since March 5 for misappropriating Ukrainian state funds.
The EU medium-term loan is aimed at helping Ukraine cover its balance-of-payments needs and comes in addition to 610 million euros of aid that has been approved, but not yet disbursed.
The cut in trade tariffs for Ukrainian imports until Nov. 1 is a one-sided measure that will not affect duties on exports to Ukraine from the 28-nation bloc.
It is a first stage in a free-trade pact due to be signed by Brussels with Kiev later this year that was linked to the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement that former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign in November last year, triggering the protests that led to his ouster.
Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine pro-Kremlin militias continued in control of many government buildings in defiance of a Kiev ultimatum to leave or face the consequences.
FIVE-YEAR WINDOW? A defense institute CEO said a timeline for a potential Chinese invasion was based on expected ‘tough measures’ when Xi Jinping seeks a new term Most Taiwanese are willing to defend the nation against a Chinese attack, but the majority believe Beijing is unlikely to invade within the next five years, a poll showed yesterday. The poll carried out last month was commissioned by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a Taipei-based think tank, and released ahead of Double Ten National Day today, when President William Lai (賴清德) is to deliver a speech. China maintains a near-daily military presence around Taiwan and has held three rounds of war games in the past two years. CIA Director William Burns last year said that Chinese President Xi Jinping
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said that China has “no right to represent Taiwan,” but stressed that the nation was willing to work with Beijing on issues of mutual interest. “The Republic of China has already put down roots in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu,” Lai said in his first Double Ten National Day address outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. “And the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China [PRC] are not subordinate to each other.” “The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan,” he said at the event marking the 113th National Day of
SPEECH IMPEDIMENT? The state department said that using routine celebrations or public remarks as a pretext for provocation would undermine peace and stability Beijing’s expected use of President William Lai’s (賴清德) Double Ten National Day speech today as a pretext for provocative measures would undermine peace and stability, the US Department of State said on Tuesday. Taiwanese officials have said that China is likely to launch military drills near Taiwan in response to Lai’s speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims. A state department spokesperson said it could not speculate on what China would or would not do. “However, it is worth emphasizing that using routine annual celebrations or public remarks as a pretext or excuse for provocative or coercive
CONCERNS: Allowing the government, political parties or the military to own up to 10 percent of a large media firm is a risk Taiwan cannot afford to take, a lawyer said A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator has proposed amendments to allow the government, political parties and the military to indirectly invest in broadcast media, prompting concerns of potential political interference. Under Article 1 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), the government and political parties — as well as foundations established with their endowments, and those commissioned by them — cannot directly or indirectly invest in satellite broadcasting businesses. A similar regulation is in the Cable Radio and Television Act (有線廣播電視法). “The purpose of banning the government, political parties and the military from investing in the media is to prevent them from interfering
RSS