Today “There is Russian hybrid activity in NATO territory. It is clearly seen that Russia is intensifying it not only in Ukraine, but also in the countries covered by Article 5″ of the North Atlantic Treaty. “There is ample evidence that Russian special intelligence agencies are behind the activity in Europe and in the NATO countries”. He says so Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergisin Luxembourg on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council.
“We should be very clear – he continues – about what we will do about it. Unfortunately I don’t think we are sending the right message, because, just as we are witnessing this hybrid activity, at the same time we are discussing the 14th sanctions package, which over time has become unfortunately quite weak. And we have not yet adopted the package for Belarus. We absolutely must change the situation: Moscow must receive the very clear message that every time they increase the level they will receive a response from us“, he concludes.
Russian missiles against Odessa, columns of smoke over the city
Two Kalibr cruise missiles fired by the Russian armed forces have hit the city of Odessa, in southern Ukraine. The local media reported it while images of enormous columns of smoke rising from the city were spread on social media. The damage caused is not yet known at the moment.
EU gives green light to 14th Russia sanctions package, LNG in the crosshairs
The EU Council meeting in Luxembourg adopted the 14th package of sanctions against Russia for the war in Ukraine. The package, explains the Commission, contains new measures against Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and measures against ships supporting Russia’s war. As for LNG, the package bans all future investments and exports into LNG projects under construction in Russia. It will also ban, after a nine-month transitional period, the use of EU ports for the transhipment of Russian LNG. Furthermore, the package bans the import of Russian LNG into certain terminals, which are not connected to the EU pipeline network.
Borrell: “EU aid to Kiev must arrive now”
EU military aid to Ukraine must arrive “now, before the summer”, therefore the revenues generated by frozen Russian assets cannot remain “in the coffer”, so today “a proposal” will be presented to prevent that money from remaining blocked by the veto of “one member country”, Hungary. This was stated by EU High Representative Josep Borrell today in Luxembourg on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council.
North Korea against US aid to Ukraine
North Korea has meanwhile contested the United States’ continued and increased military aid to Ukraine, stating that ”Russia has the right to defend itself”. This was stated by a senior North Korean general, the deputy head of the military central committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea Pak Jong-chon, quoted by the KCNA news agency.
Russia has the right to choose retaliatory actions, Pak added, confirming ”North Korea’s solidarity with Russia in the defense of sovereign rights”.
