Brussels, 2 July 2025 (Lusa) – The President of the European Council argues that the EU should continue to pressure the Kremlin with more sanctions because there is "no sign" that Russia is willing to negotiate a ceasefire with a view to peace in Ukraine.
"Russia has refused a ceasefire, Russia has chosen not to participate at a high level in the negotiation efforts and Russia has, in fact, intensified its attacks on Ukraine, indicating that Russia currently appears focused on other objectives rather than negotiating peace," said António Costa in an interview with the Lusa news agency in Brussels.
As he marks six months in office as head of the institution that brings together EU heads of government and state, the former Portuguese prime minister stresses: “The ideal would have been for the war never to have started, the second ideal would be for the war to end in the next second, [but] the reality is that, despite the support we have all given to the efforts of [US] President [Donald] Trump to seek a peace agreement, Russia has yet to reciprocate these efforts.” to seek a peace agreement, Russia has yet to match these efforts in the slightest.”
At a time when the EU is about to approve its 18th package of sanctions against Russia for the war in Ukraine, António Costa argues that the EU should “continue to support Ukraine and […] increase pressure on Russia”.
This new package of restrictive measures, which will include new lists of entities and individuals covered by the sanctions, will strengthen the fight against the Russian ghost oil fleet and extend restrictions on the Russian banking system, according to the President of the European Council. The European Council will coordinate it “with the United States, Canada and other international partners”.
"This has to be global pressure to be effective," he said.
Despite the ongoing war, António Costa stresses that European sanctions are working because the Russian economy is in an “extremely fragile situation.”
This interview with Lusa comes as parties attempt peace talks with US mediation, and the EU believes that Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position before, during and after the negotiations to end the war.
Ukraine has also held EU candidate country status since 2022. For António Costa, it is “impressive” how, amid a war, it recognises the importance of carrying out the series of reforms that are essential for such accession.
On 1 December 2024, António Costa began his two-and-a-half-year term as President of the European Council, marking the first time a socialist and the first Portuguese have held this position.
He spent his first day in office in Kyiv to say that Europe would support Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the EU has allocated €138.2 billion to Ukraine. In terms of financial aid, the European bloc is expected to contribute €30.6 billion to Kyiv in 2025.
The EU has also imposed heavy sanctions on Russia, including economic and diplomatic measures targeting thousands of individuals and entities, with a travel ban to the EU, the freezing of assets and the freezing of funds originating in the EU.
It has also moved to freeze assets totalling €24.9 billion of private assets within the EU and €210 billion of Russian Central Bank assets.
At the commercial level, European restrictive measures target €48 billion in exports to Russia and €91.2 billion in imports from Russia.
Ukraine has also received financial and military aid from its Western allies.
Kyiv’s allies have imposed sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy to enhance Moscow’s capacity to finance the war effort in Ukraine.
ANE/LM // NS
Lusa/fim
