The European Commission is closely monitoring the Zapad military exercises in Belarus and once again called on Moscow and Minsk to comply with international requirements for advance warning in the event of such actions. This was stated today by an EC spokesperson at a press conference, BTA reports.
Sanctions against Russia
According to him, the Commission is continuing to work on the next package of sanctions due to the war in Ukraine.
“We have not yet submitted the proposal to the EU Council. The work is ongoing and we expect to be ready very soon“, the spokesperson stressed.
He specified that the sanctions are being coordinated with allies and partners, including the US, and recalled the EU's aspiration to end the import of Russian fossil fuels earlier than initially planned. the planned.
Economic effect
According to the Commission, the sanctions imposed so far are already yielding economic results. “Our assessment shows that they are working. We are preparing even stricter measures“, the spokesperson added.
Visa restrictions
The EC is also preparing a new approach to issuing Schengen visas, which will affect Russian citizens. In 2019, the EU issued 4 million visas to Russians, while last year their number dropped to 541 thousand.