The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, has called for significant increase in economic pressure on Russia to help end the war in Ukraine, DPA reported.
Kalas said in an interview with German public broadcaster AER that action was needed against the so-called Russian shadow fleet, which Moscow uses to export oil, thereby generating revenue that it uses for the war.
Western allies must be creative and take closely coordinated action, she added, arguing that sanctions would have a significant effect if Britain, the United States, Europe and the G7 countries imposed the same measures.
At the moment, the focus is on increasing pressure on Russia to force Moscow to end the military actions, Kallas said, assuring that that the Russian economy is in trouble.
The Russian “shadow fleet“ consists of tankers and cargo ships that Moscow uses to circumvent sanctions, for example to transport oil, DPA notes. The European Union has long warned that the vessels of the “shadow fleet“ could be used to launch drones for destructive or espionage attacks.
In response to a question about whether the war in Iran had led to the diversion of weapons intended for Ukraine and financed by Europe to the Middle East, Kallas said that she had asked NATO about these rumors. In addition, she said that she had received information that this was not true and that the weapons were continuing to be sent to Ukraine as planned.
Yesterday, Kaia Kallas and EU foreign ministers arrived in Kiev to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian occupation of the city of Bucha.