BRUSSELS. “If there are chemical attacks, we will react, and the nature of the reaction depends on the nature of the attack.” This was stated by American President Joe Biden at the end of the NATO summit in Brussels, which arrived at the headquarters of the European Council and from President Charles Michel was welcomed. Referring to the RussiaUkraine war, the head of the White House also announces new sanctions “against more than 400 Russian individuals and organizations, taken in accordance and coordination with the EU: these are more than 300 members of the Duma, Russian defense oligarchs and corporations. “The sanctions Biden is aware are never a deterrent, but maintaining them increases the suffering of Russia, and that will stop Putin.” In a press conference from Brussels after the NATO and G7 summits, the US President also spoke about food shortages : “We are trying to understand how we can alleviate them”, but is now calling on the countries to “lift the restrictions on sending food abroad”. “. “The price of sanctions he comments weighs not only on Russia, but also on other countries: Russia and Ukraine were Europe’s breadbasket for wheat, we and Canada talked about how missing food can be more quickly propagated and distributed .
Biden announced to his partners that the US would take in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the invasion of Russia: “Refugee admission is an international duty.
Here is the report of the meeting
17.55 Morawiecki: “Not words, but weapons and sanctions”
“I was in Kyiv with two other prime ministers and I can tell you that they do not need our words of sympathy: they need guns and they need sanctions because they are real fighters, they are fighting for their freedom and independence. It is our duty to help them ». This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. As for Beijing’s position: “I hope that China will not support Russia; China is a huge superpower and should also help in this peacekeeping mission.” Sanchez hopes that China “will work for peace together with all other countries, but peace must mean Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereign Ukraine”.
17:32 Dragons on China and on the payment of gas in rubles
“China is the most important country and can be crucial in the peace process” for Ukraine as the Chinese “have a strong influence and we are all waiting for them to use it”. This was stated by Council President Mario Draghi on his arrival at the European Council. On the subject of the recession, he said: “This is a war, we have to deal with the recession and we have to react and mitigate the inevitable. But I don’t think we’re going to have a recession; Rather, I think we’re seeing an economic slowdown. We have to look closely at what is happening and react, he concluded.
Opposite the Europa building, when asked about Moscow’s decision to require payment for gas supplies in rubles, Draghi replies sharply: “It is a breach of contract: contracts are considered breached if this clause is applied by Russia”. Regarding energy and food security, the Prime Minister speaks of diversification, “which we are doing by changing sources of supply”, because “Europe wants to become independent of Russian gas”. For Draghi, “help has to come from Canada, the US and big LPG producers, and even here there has been extreme collaboration.”
Ukraine, Draghi: “Impossible nofly zone in NATO and EU”
5:18 p.m. Von der Leyen: We will tighten sanctions, US LNG to the EU
“Today, Brussels is the center of the free world,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when she arrived at the European Council after the G7 summits. “We have decided to increase our support for Ukraine, tighten sanctions against Russia and get rid of Russian fossil fuels. Tomorrow, von der Leyen added, “we will jointly present with President Biden a new chapter in our energy partnership, additional LNG from the United States for the European Union replacing Russia’s LNG”.
17.13 Jansa: “No one in the EU will pay for Russian gas in rubles”
“I don’t think anyone in Europe knows how rubles are made, I don’t think anyone will pay for Russian gas in rubles like the Kremlin is asking for,” said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa upon his arrival at the European Council.
17.10 Luxembourg: Necessary armistice
“The ceasefire is more necessary than ever because as we speak, Ukrainians are suffering,” said Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. «The fact he continued is that the situation is not improving at the moment. So if we adopt new sanctions now, with the situation as it is, I wonder what the next step will be. We just talked about chemical weapons and other issues: I think we need gradually ».
17.00 Sanchez: “A cap on gas prices”
With regard to the energy crisis, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls for “a solution for all of Europe that not only provides for the joint purchase of gas, but also provides for a price cap. Aware that these measures will take weeks, Sanchez proposes that the states and the European Commission “react to the peculiarities of the Iberian Peninsula, whose connection with the European energy market is minimal”. Pedro Sanchez also announced that Spain would be sending a new shipment of arms to Ukraine in the next few days to face the ongoing invasion by the Russian army: “It will be defensive and offensive material,” he specified.