By BRUSSELS. Dec 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The leaders of the European Union say they are ready to support Ukraine’s peace initiatives.
This is discussed in the conclusions of the European Council, adopted at the end of the meeting, which took place in Brussels on Thursday.
"The European Council reiterates that it is ready to support Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace. To date, Russia has not shown any genuine willingness regarding a fair and sustainable peace," according to the document.
EU leaders discussed "how to further increase collective pressure on Russia to end its war of aggression and to withdraw its troops from Ukraine." "The European Council welcomes the reinforcement of EU restrictive measures against Russia, including through the EU’s ninth package of restrictive measures and the international oil price cap. The European Union stands ready to continue to reinforce the restrictive measures," according to the conclusions.
In this regard, the European Council stressed the importance of ensuring the effective implementation of sanctions and preventing circumvention. "The Council reiterates its call for all countries to align with EU sanctions," the leaders said in the document.
In addition, the European Council reiterated its condemnation of military support for Russia in the war against Ukraine provided "by the Iranian authorities, which must stop."
