EU wants to block airspace and deliver weapons to Ukraine

The Commission’s proposal also provides for the end of two Russian propaganda stations

Brussels is tightening the sanctions against the Kremlin despot Vladimir Putin (69) because of his barbaric war of aggression in Ukraine at an ever faster pace.

Not even 18 hours after the hammer of the announced central bank blockade (according to insiders, a sum of up to 630 billion US dollars is involved) and the expulsion of a number of Russian banks from the international payment system Swift, the EU Commission followed up again on Sunday evening : Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen (63) and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (74) announced proposals for a THIRD sanctions package.

Most explosive points: the blocking of airspace for Russian aircraft and arms deliveries to Ukraine.

The authority expects implementation partly in the next few hours, partly in the next few days.

<h3>Those are the key points</h3>

The third package of sanctions presented by Brussels includes these projects:

▶︎ Reallocation of EU funds to purchase arms for Ukraine in the amount of 450 million euros. It is the first time in history that the EU has bought arms. A further 50 million euros are to be made available for other equipment.

︎ Blocking of the entire EU airspace for Russian aircraft – including the private jets of the oligarchs. “We propose a ban on all Russian-owned, Russian-registered or Russian-controlled aircraft,” von der Leyen said. That would mean no more flights to Switzerland, where a large part of Russian assets of dubious origin are stashed away. Because: Switzerland is completely surrounded by EU territory.

▶︎ Suspension of broadcasting by the Kremlin channels Sputnik and Russia Today, on as many channels as possible, because of the spread of Russian war propaganda. “They will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war,” von der Leyen said.

▶︎ Significant expansion of the sanctions against Belarus (Belarus), both in relation to economic sectors (e.g. technology export) and in relation to individuals who are also put on the sanctions list because they supported the war preparations. Sanctions are already in place against electoral fraud and Belarusian dictator Lukashenko, among other things because of the state hijacking of a Ryanair plane.

▶︎ Support for refugees from Ukraine. In Brussels it is assumed that at least 250,000 Ukrainians – mostly women and children – have reached EU territory. The vast majority of them have so far found shelter through friends and relatives. The EU wants to provide them with funds and help them to obtain a protected residence status in an unbureaucratic manner.