European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has said he does not rule out additional sanctions against Russia in connection with the Ukrainian crisis.
Following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol the EU
imposed sanctions on a number of individuals and legal entities, Van
Rompuy said in Tbilisi on Wednesday.
“In the case of further destabilization, the European Union remains
committed to a further increase in the cost for Russia should it take
more steps to destabilize the situation,” he said in a statement
released in Brussels on Wednesday.
He said that two days ago he was in Kyiv and met with Prime Minister
Arseniy Yatseniuk and acting President Oleksandr Turchynov, reiterating
the European Union’s firm commitment to Ukraine’s unity, sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity. Van Rompuy said that “for now
the immediate goal is to ensure free and fair presidential elections on
the 25th of May.”
Van Rompuy said that the European Union would continue to “insist on
and work for dialogue and negotiations as this is the only way forward
to come to a stable, democratic, inclusive and modern Ukraine.”
“And we will continue our support for the necessary political, economic and security reforms in Ukraine,” he said.
