The new European sanctions against Russia will include new export bans worth more than 10 billion euros ($10.7 billion) against propagandists working for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the media told Thursday. press the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“We will fight Putin’s propagandists because their lies poison public life in Russia and abroad,” von der Leyen said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy .
The new sanctions “will further undermine the Russian military machine and shake its economic foundations”, she added.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy , a participant in the EU summit, said that several leaders of EU countries had told him that they were ready to supply planes to Kiev.
“Europe will be with us until we win. I heard this from a number of European leaders (…) about the willingness to provide us with the necessary weapons and support, including aircraft,” Zelenskyyy told a conference. “I have a number of bilateral meetings now, we will raise the issue of fighters and other aircraft.”
Zelenskyyy did not specify which EU countries have declared themselves ready to send fighter jets to Ukraine. After visiting London and Paris, he also said he had “some agreements that have not been made public, but they are positive”, but did not elaborate.
Meanwhile, von der Leyen said Ukraine was making “impressive” progress towards European integration, a process for which there are “no hard deadlines”.
“The Commission is working closely with the Ukrainian government… There are no strict deadlines, it’s a meritocratic process,” she said in a joint press conference with Zelenskyyy. and the President of the European Council Charles Michel.
According to Von der Leyen, the main objective is to show the progress of Ukraine, which received EU candidate status in June last year.
Ukraine stresses that EU accession negotiations should start this year.
However, some countries in the bloc say potential EU members must meet a number of criteria – such as fighting corruption – before starting negotiations.
The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, signaled that “the road to peace, reconstruction and joining the bloc will be long and difficult”, while adding: “We will be with you every step of the way”.
“A free Europe is unthinkable without a free Ukraine,” Michel said.
