You're reading: Van Rompuy: Ukraine has taken steps to comply with Geneva Agreement, unlike Russia

 The Ukrainian government has taken a number of steps to fulfill its obligations as part of the Geneva accords, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has said.

“Unfortunately, the continued violence and lawlessness in eastern
Ukraine runs counter to Geneva. And sadly Russia has not lived up to its
commitments in the Geneva Joint Statement,” he said in a statement at a
meeting with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in Prague on
Wednesday.

Van Rompuy said that the EU had introduced targeted sanctions in the
form of visa bans and asset freezes against a number of individuals.

“We have made it equally clear that any further steps by the Russian
Federation to destabilize the situation in Ukraine would lead to
additional and far-reaching consequences for our relations in a broad
range of economic areas. The European Commission has been asked to
prepare such broader sanctions,” he said.

At the same time, Van Rompuy noted that the EU was actively supporting the necessary political and economic reforms in Ukraine.

He also said it was important to dwell on the issue of the EU’s energy security.

“Our dependence on Russian gas… has become increasingly worrying in light of developments in Ukraine,” Van Rompuy said.

He referred to the March European Council meeting at which it was
decided to change this situation and bring the EU closer to “a genuine
energy union.” The European Commission, he said, was instructed to
submit by June a plan to reduce the EU’s energy dependence.