Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will come with a price tag, the head of the European Commission warned yesterday but declined to say clearly whether a Moscow move would trigger European sanctions against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The European Union wants Russia to escalate tensions by building an army on its border with Ukraine, and the 27-nation bloc is ready to step up sanctions in the event of an invasion, Ursula von der Leyen said.
In a joint news conference in Brussels with new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, von der Leyen said the EU wanted to have good relations with Russia, but that depended on Moscow’s stance. “We want de-escalation and an end to all aggression against Russia’s neighboring countries,” she said.
“Otherwise, the EU will seek to strengthen its sanctions and take other measures in the economic field in agreement with our partners (…) We want a good relationship with Russia, but it depends first and foremost on the way in which Russia behaves. Russia is taking a threatening stance towards its neighbours and that undermines Europe’s security,” she said.
Asked if sanctions could be imposed on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, she recalled that in June the European Council instructed the Commission to consider options for Russia “and now we have done so.” “Aggression needs to come with a price tag, which is why we will communicate these points ahead of time to Russia but we will not make them public,” he continued. “In general, energy should never be used to exert pressure and the energy security of Europe and its neighbours should be secured,” she concluded.
Scholz declined to say what the consequences of a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be.
Referring to gas, the new German chancellor said that Berlin considered it a “temporary solution” to its efforts to decouple the economy from coal. “Other countries have different goals. We do not have an agreement yet, but everyone is discussing how to unite,” he said when asked about differences with France over whether the EU should classify nuclear energy as “sustainable.”
Scholz also stressed that the new German government clearly had a pro-European agenda and that Europe must remain united and act to tackle the health crisis. He added that he believed that the big challenge for Europe would be the modernization of industry.
Source: ANA-MPA
