Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho said Monday afternoon in Brussels that “there is already a political understanding” around the tenth package of sanctions against Russia, which “will be approved at the end of this week.”
João Gomes Cravinho adds that the sanctions package “will include a hundred new persons or entities and will also include a ban on exports, probably worth around 11 billion euros, of parts and equipment that indirectly contribute to the Russian military effort.” .
For now, all that remains is to finalize “the technical details” of a package that is largely negotiated and that will be extended to Iran, which will also be one of the targets of the European Union’s punitive measures.
“Seven Iranian entities related to the manufacture of drones will be sanctioned, which will then be sent to Russia,” revealed Minister Gomes Cravinho.
This sanctions package will not yet include nuclear power. “The focus is not on the nuclear,” the minister stated, admitting that “naturally, in the future it will have to be considered.”
One of the controversial issues in the European measures is the possibility of sanctioning the diamond trade, but the minister guarantees that this time they will be included in the sanctions package.
“There are many aspects still to be defined, but obviously there is no reason for us to exclude diamonds,” said Gomes Cravinho, even assuring that “they will be considered.”
Biden
In statements to journalists in Brussels, João Gomes Cravinho also considered that the visit of US President Joe Biden to Kiev sends “two messages” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “the only one who still does not understand that he is going to lose this war “. .
“There are times when gestures are more eloquent than long speeches and President Biden’s visit is particularly eloquent in sending two messages,” he said, identifying, first of all, “a message of solidarity and support for Ukraine, for the Ukrainian people ”, and secondly “a very clear message to President Putin in the sense of what most of the world has already understood, but still doesn’t seem to understand, that he is not going to win this war”.
“I think that President Biden’s visit shows very clearly that we are very united, the United States and the European Union, in relation to Ukraine and that we will not let Ukraine fall”, considered João Gomes Cravinho.
Asked if he shares the concern of the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy about possible arms shipments to Russia, Cravinho says the EU “does not have any information that would allow us to say that China will do it.”
“China has said that it does not support Russia militarily and our belief is that China should keep its word. It would be extremely negative if China were to support Russia militarily and it would obviously put China in a completely different light when it comes to relations with states. Joined”. European Union,” she said.
Source: TSF
