European Parliament calls for sanctions against the Russian army

In light of the deployment of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, the EU Parliament has called for sanctions against senior military personnel and those around Moscow’s command. New punitive measures should be directed against officers involved in planning a possible invasion of Ukraine, according to a resolution adopted by a large majority in Strasbourg today. The sanctions package should also include the closest circle and “the oligarchy in the orbit of the Russian president”.

Imposing “strict economic and financial sanctions”

MEPs referred to the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The resolution states that “harsh economic and financial sanctions” must now be imposed quickly rather than “waiting for another invasion.” In addition to the asset freeze and entry ban, this also calls for Russia’s exclusion from the international express payment system.

Parliament is also demanding that the German-Russian Baltic Sea pipeline “Nord Stream 2” not run – and regardless of whether it meets the terms of the EU’s gas directive at some point, the parliament said. 548 deputies voted on the text, 69 voted against and 54 abstained.

European Union countries such as Poland and Lithuania as well as Ukraine and the United States have long been in favor of using the gas pipeline completed in September as a means of pressure on Russia.