EU debate fresh sanctions against Russia

By -
The European Union's foreign ministers on Thursday began an extraordinary meeting on Ukraine in which they will debate fresh sanctions against Russia.
EU leaders have asked the ministers to consider further measures that they say should encourage the warring parties to implement the Minsk peace agreements, reports dpa.
Expectations in Brussels are that the first set of existing sanctions up for renewal - travel bans and asset freezes against people deemed responsible for destabilizing Ukraine - will be extended for another year.
However, sanctions have had little effect in halting the fighting in the past and some EU member countries are wary of implementing even more of them.
Greece's new foreign minister Nikos Kotzias, whose country objected to Tuesday's EU leader statement on sanctions, said that it was Greece's goal to act as mediator.
"Greece is working for the restoration of peace and stability in Ukraine and, at the same time, is working to prevent a rift between the European Union and Russia," the minister said.
Greek Prime Minister-elect Alexis Tsipras has spoken out against sanctions on Russia. Their implementation require unanimity, meaning that a Greek veto could block them.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that he hopes that the EU will step up pressure on Russia.
"I understand that the ministers are ready to prepare bold and robust statements about supporting Ukraine, about further ideas how to increase pressure on Russia," he said after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.
The EU and the US began mulling fresh sanctions after the pro-Russian separatists went on the attack in eastern Ukraine.
The violence peaked on the weekend, when more than 30 people were killed in an attack on the port city of Mariupol.
Ukraine's Security Council said Thursday that attacks continued along the whole front line. During the past 24 hours five soldiers were killed and 29 injured, council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.
Russia meanwhile cautioned Bosnia-Herzegovina against delivering ammunitions to Ukraine, saying they could be used by the country's armed forces to kill civilians.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that Moscow was "bewildered" by reports that Bosnia is planning such shipments.
"These deliveries are planned by a country that itself experienced all the horrors of a fratricidal war from 1992 to 1995," Lukashevich said.
According to local media reports, two Bosnian companies have agreed to deliver rifle and pistol ammunition worth some 5.6 million dollars to Ukraine.
Bosnian Foreign Trade Minister Boris Tucic resigned over the affair last week, saying he was against sending arms to Ukraine.
Russia is widely accused of delivering arms, fighters and regular troops to the separatist militia fighting against government troops in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has denied the allegations.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UBTH @50: Obaseki hails institution’s role in strengthening Edo healthcare

By -
Image
(Nigeria) Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has commended the staff and management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, for their unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work in providing high-quality healthcare services to the people of Edo State and Nigeria in the past fifty years. Obaseki, at a dinner organized in honour of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Nigeria, at the Government House, Benin City, reassured the government’s continuous partnership and collaboration with the federal government-owned health institution to strengthen the health system and ensure quality health delivery to Edo people. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, reeled out the gains of the government’s reforms in the health sector, commending the medical centre for bolstering the government’s efforts at transforming Edo State into a health hub. He said, "We came into a wilderness where you have to cut a part for yourself and fix it. We held
Read more

NBC has no powers to impose fine on broadcast stations --Court

By -
Image
(Nigeria) The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has been restrained by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Trial judge in the matter, Justice James Omotosho also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The court made the orders in its judgment a suit by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, which had sued the NBC. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. The court further held that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at
Read more